Do Queen Mothers Still Hold Political Power in Ghana Today? An Encyclopaedic Assessment

Lede

In Ghana, the term queen mother (Akan: ohemmaa; Ga: manye; Ewe: mamawo; Dagbani: Gundo Naa) refers to a female traditional ruler who holds authority over a stool, lineage, or community, often as the custodian of royal ancestry and the kingmaker of chiefs. Unlike a queen regnant, she does not ordinarily rule as sole sovereign, but her power is real, institutionalised, and constitutionally recognised within Ghana’s chieftaincy system. Today, queen mothers continue to exercise political influence in land allocation, dispute resolution, social welfare, and the selection of chiefs, even as their formal role within the modern state remains largely advisory and parallel to elected government.

This article assesses the contemporary political power of queen mothers in Ghana as of 2026, drawing on oral traditions, legal instruments, and the testimony of scholars and practitioners.

Dated Status

As of 2026, queen mothers in Ghana hold recognised but constitutionally circumscribed political authority. The 1992 Constitution (Articles 270–277) and the Chieftaincy Act 2008 (Act 759) protect the institution of chieftaincy, including queen mothers, but do not grant them direct legislative or executive power. Nevertheless, the Asantehemaa Nana Konadu Yiadom III (enstooled 2017) remains one of the most influential traditional leaders in the country, and the National Queen Mothers Association continues to shape policy on gender, health, and land rights. Their power is exercised through traditional councils, queen mother associations, and moral authority rather than through the ballot box.

Political Structure and Governance Systems

Queen mothers operate within a dual-sex political system common to many Ghanaian societies, particularly the Akan. In this system, the ohemmaa (queen mother) and the ohene (chief) hold complementary offices: the chief governs the living community, while the queen mother safeguards the royal lineage and the ancestral stool. She is not subordinate to the chief but parallel to him, with her own court, spokespersons, and ritual duties.

In the Asante kingdom, the Asantehemaa is the highest-ranking female authority. She sits on the Asanteman Council, participates in the nomination of the Asantehene, and can act as regent during an interregnum. Among the Ga, the Manye holds similar authority over the Mantse (king), particularly in matters of women’s affairs and market regulation. In Dagbon, the Gundo Naa is the custodian of the royal regalia and plays a decisive role in the enskinment of the Ya Na.

Succession and Inheritance Mechanisms

Queen mothers are typically chosen from the royal matrilineage or, in patrilineal societies like the Dagomba, from specific royal female lines. Among the Akan, succession to the queen mother’s stool follows matrilineal descent: the new ohemmaa is usually the mother, sister, or aunt of the chief, selected by the kingmakers (often senior women of the lineage) and confirmed by the traditional council. Her authority is vested in the ‘blackened stool’ of her predecessors, which she must protect and upon which she swears oaths.

Inheritance of property and office is often separate from that of the chief. The queen mother controls stool lands allocated to her office, known as ohemmaa stool lands, and she can allocate usufruct rights to women for farming or trading. This economic base underpins her political independence. In contemporary Ghana, disputes over queen mother succession are adjudicated by the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs, which have jurisdiction over chieftaincy matters.

Legal Authority, Adjudication, and Law-Making

Queen mothers possess customary judicial authority within their communities. They preside over women’s courts, known in Akan as ohemmaa asennii, where they adjudicate domestic disputes, marriage conflicts, inheritance claims, and market offences. Their rulings are enforceable through social sanctions and, increasingly, through formal recognition by state courts under the Chieftaincy Act.

In modern Ghana, queen mothers have also become advocates for statutory law reform. The National Queen Mothers Association has lobbied for the Domestic Violence Act (2007), the Intestate Succession Law (1985), and the Affirmative Action Bill. They use their moral authority to influence local by-laws on sanitation, education, and child marriage. As one Akan elder explained:

‘The queen mother is the soul of the stool; without her, the chief cannot sit. Her word is not just advice—it is law for the women, and the men must listen.’

Gender Dynamics, Matriarchy, and Complementary Rule

The institution of queen mother challenges Eurocentric assumptions that African political systems were uniformly patriarchal. In many Ghanaian societies, power is organised through complementary gender roles: the chief and queen mother are two halves of a single sovereignty. The queen mother’s authority over women’s affairs—reproduction, markets, puberty rites, and female initiation—is not a lesser domain but a parallel sphere of governance.

However, colonialism and postcolonial state-building eroded this complementarity. British indirect rule recognised only male chiefs, excluding queen mothers from Native Authorities and later local government structures. The 1992 Constitution restored some recognition, but queen mothers still struggle for formal seats on district assemblies and regional houses of chiefs. Feminist scholars such as Agnes Aidoo and Beverly Stoeltje argue that the resilience of queen mothers today is a form of ‘female sovereignty’ that predates and persists alongside the modern nation-state.

Legacy and Modern Political Influence

Queen mothers remain powerful political actors in contemporary Ghana, though their influence is often informal and mediated through networks of women’s associations, churches, and NGOs. They mobilise voters, mediate land conflicts, and broker peace in chieftaincy disputes. Politicians routinely seek their endorsement, and their public statements carry weight in national debates.

For example, the Asantehemaa has intervened in disputes over the Asantehene’s authority, and the Manye of Krobo has led campaigns against teenage pregnancy and environmental degradation. Queen mothers also serve on government boards, such as the National Commission on Culture and the Lands Commission, and some have been appointed as ambassadors or members of the Council of State. Their power is not the same as elected office, but it is real, durable, and increasingly recognised in development policy.

Contemporary Revival Movements and Cultural Renaissance

Since the 1990s, there has been a deliberate revival of queen mother institutions as part of a broader cultural renaissance in Ghana. The National Queen Mothers Association, founded in 2002, now has branches in all sixteen regions and advocates for the formal inclusion of queen mothers in local governance. Annual durbars, such as the Asantehemaa’s Akwasidae festival and the Manye’s Dipo rites, have become platforms for asserting female authority and educating the public about indigenous governance.

This revival is also driven by diaspora engagement and heritage tourism. Queen mothers are increasingly visible in documentaries, academic conferences, and international forums on women’s leadership. They are reclaiming colonial-era narratives that dismissed them as mere ‘king’s wives’ and reasserting their role as sovereigns in their own right.

Key Biographical Figures and Their Contributions

• Nana Konadu Yiadom III — Current Asantehemaa (enstooled 2017). She presides over the Asantehemaa’s court, manages extensive stool lands, and is a key voice in Asante and national affairs.
• Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II (1907–2016) — Previous Asantehemaa and mother of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. She was renowned for her diplomatic skill and her role in stabilising the Asante kingdom after colonial rule.
• Naa Dedei Omaedru III — Ga Manye, active in Accra’s development and women’s empowerment.
• Nana Manye Nartey — Manye of Manya Krobo, custodian of the Dipo rites and advocate for girls’ education.
• Gundo Naa — The current holder of the Dagbon female title, keeper of the royal regalia and key figure in the enskinment of the Ya Na.

These women exemplify the continuity and adaptation of queen mother authority in modern Ghana.

Sources & Further Reading

• Aidoo, Agnes Akosua. ‘Asante Queen Mothers in Government and Politics in the Nineteenth Century.’ Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria, vol. 9, no. 1, 1977, pp. 1–13.
• Arhin, Kwame. ‘The Political and Military Roles of Akan Women.’ In Female and Male in West Africa, edited by Christine Oppong, Allen & Unwin, 1983, pp. 91–98.
• Boahen, A. Adu. ‘Akan Queen Mothers: A Study in Female Authority.’ In Queens, Queen Mothers, Priestesses, and Power: Case Studies in African Gender, edited by Flora Edouwaye S. Kaplan, New York University Press, 1997, pp. 80–97.
• Odotei, Irene K., and Albert K. Awedoba, eds. Chieftaincy in Ghana: Culture, Governance and Development. Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2006.
• Stoeltje, Beverly J. ‘Asante Queen Mothers: Precolonial Authority in a Postcolonial Society.’ Research in African Literatures, vol. 28, no. 4, 1997, pp. 1–19.