Famous Ghanaian Women

The Queen Mother of the Ashanti Empire, or modern-day Ghana, Yaa Asantewaa is remembered for leading her country against the British in the War of the Golden Stool. The war began when a British representative sat on the Golden Stool, considered a sacred emblem of the Ashanti people.

Ghanaian businesswoman Esther Afua Ocloo, better known as the founder of Women’s World Banking, had stepped into the world of business with less than a dollar. She initially sold marmalade in Ghana and then moved to England to learn food processing, eventually turning into a microlending pioneer.

Ghanaian actress, model and film-producer Yvonne Nelson chanced upon acting with the film Princess Tyra. Over the years, she has produced and starred in several movies, most-notably the Ghanaian-Nigerian comedy House of Gold that bagged many awards at 2013 Zulu African Film Academy Awards. She founded the Yvonne Nelson Glaucoma Foundation and is noted for her charity-work in fighting glaucoma.

Ghanaian singer Ama Serwah Genfi, better known by her stage name, Amaarae, soared to fame with the 2020 hit Sad Girlz Luv Money, which became viral after it was remixed the following year. Known for her signature buzz haircut, she is also a popular style icon.

Rebecca Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian public figure best known as the wife of the current President Nana Akufo-Addo. Since 2017, she has been serving as the First Lady of Ghana and has received praises for her fight against malnutrition in children and adolescents. As the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo has also contributed immensely to women's health across Africa.

Ghanaian actor Nana Ama McBrown gained popularity with the series Tentacles. Raised by her aunt after her parents’ divorce, she grew up to get a lead role after responding a radio audition call. She also hosts the Ghanaian cookery show McBrown Kitchen. Tabloids have often linked her romantically with co-star Omar Sheriff Captan.

The daughter of a Ghanaian-Liberian mother and a Lebanese father, Juliet Ibrahim had a tough childhood torn by civil war before she made her mark as an actor in Ghanaian films. Best known for her award-winning performance in the Nigerian-Ghanaian romantic comedy 4 Play, she once accused her former boyfriend of raping her.

Samira Bawumia is a Ghanaian politician and the current Second Lady of Ghana. She is also known for her humanitarian initiatives; Bawumia is credited with founding a not-for-profit organization called the Samira Empowerment & Humanitarian Projects, which aims at empowering the underprivileged in Ghana. In 2022, Samira Bawumia was honored with the Ghanaian Women Association of Georgia Global Humanitarian Award.

Ghanaian Afrobeats and Afropop singer Wendy Asiamah Addo, better known as Wendy Shay, moved to Germany after her father’s death at age 4. Starting her career as a midwife and nurse, she switched to music after returning to Ghana and is now one of her country’s most influential women in music.

Samia Nkrumah is a Ghanaian politician best known for her association with the Convention People's Party where she served as the chairperson from September 2011 to September 2015. Samia Nkrumah is credited with co-founding a movement called Africa Must Unite.

Berla Mundi is a Ghanaian media personality, voice artist, and women's advocate. A former beauty pageant contestant, Mundi started her career with GHOne TV and went on to work with TV3 Ghana, her current channel. Berla Mundi is the recipient of several awards including the Most Stylish Media Personality award at Claudia Lumor's Glitz Style Awards.

Charlotte Osei is a Ghanaian lawyer who served as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana from 2015 to 2018, becoming the first woman to do so since the independence of Ghana. Charlotte Osei has won several prestigious awards including the Volta Hall Award and Ghana Women of Courage Award.

Ghanaian singer Becca was a musical prodigy of sorts in childhood and later soared to fame with the singing contest Mentor. Initially a childcare worker, she later released hits such as You Lied to Me and Move. Becca has also served as an UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador.

Award-winning Ghanaian media personality Nana Aba Anamoah is best known for presenting shows such as The Divas Show. She also heads the Ghanaian Women's Premier League committee and is a football lover. She is also a philanthropist and owns the charitable organization Hearts Wide Open, which addresses medical and educational concerns.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings is a Ghanaian politician best known for her service as the First Lady of Ghana on two occasions; she served as the first lady in 1979 and then again from 1981 to 2001. In 2016, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings ran for the president's office, becoming the first Ghanaian woman to do so.

Afia Schwarzenegger is a Ghanaian media personality who achieved popularity after the release of the eponymous TV series. She is also credited with establishing a couple of humanitarian organizations. While the Leave2Live foundation was established as a domestic violence support group, Owontaa Street Ministry was founded to feed the underprivileged in Ghana.

Ghanaian radio and TV broadcaster and popular media personality Jessica Opare-Saforo made headlines when, in 2022, she quit Citi FM after working with the radio station for almost 2 decades. The award-winning host is known for her hit programs such as Brunch in the Citi and Sister Sister.

Ghanaian film-actress and entrepreneur Martha Ankomah is known for starring in films like Somewhere in Africa. She has so-far won Africa Movie Academy Award for Most Promising Actor twice and many Ghana Movie Awards including two for Best actress in a lead role. She garnered criticism after questioning superficial narrative of Ghanaian films. Ankomah launched Martha Ankomah Foundation in 2016.

Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is a Ghanaian politician and academic. She is best known for her service as the Minister for Education from 2013 to 2017. A full professor of literature, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang also served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast from 2008 to 2012.

Margaret Busby is a Ghanaian-born British writer, editor, publisher, and broadcaster. In the 1960s, Busby became the first black female and Britain's youngest book publisher when she co-founded Allison and Busby, a London-based publishing house. In 2020, she featured in the 100 Great Black Britons list. In 2021, Margaret Busby won the prestigious London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award.

Born to a South African father and a Ghanaian mother, award-winning singer Adina Thembi has made waves in the Afro pop scene. Her music also contains elements of Ghanaian folk music and highlife music, mixed with gospel and African pop. Her track Hear Me won her a Vodafone Ghana Music Award.

Serwaa Amihere is a Ghanaian news presenter and broadcast journalist. She is best known for winning the Television Female Newscaster of the Year Award at the famous Radio and Television Personality Awards in 2018. Serwaa Amihere, who currently works with GH One TV, has also won other awards such as the Golden Movie Award and National Communication Award.

Ghanaian singer and songwriter Sista Afia, an Afro-pop musician, is known for releasing songs like Weather and Corner Corner. While the first song earned nomination for Hip-life song of the Year award, the latter earned nomination for High-Life Song of the Year award at the 2020 Ghana Music Awards ceremony. She is the niece of noted Ghanaian Bishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams.

Canadian-born-Ghanaian businessperson and philanthropist Menaye Donkor became Miss Universe Ghana in 2004. She founded Menaye Charity Organization which works for underprivileged women and children, and also funds for Menaye School of Hope that she adopted. Her luxury Italian brand SHE-Y donates a part of its profit to Menaye Charity Organization. Menaye was named Nkosuohemaa or Development Queen of Agona Asafo.    

Ghanaian lawyer, women's rights activist and politician Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful presently serves as Member of the Ghana Parliament for Ablekuma West constituency and as Minister of Communications and Digitalisation. During her professional career, Owusu-Ekuful served on different boards including as President of FIDA Ghana, Vice President of the Africa Regional FIDA International and a member of the Ghana Bar Association.

Ghanaian singer, songwriter and recording artist Cina Soul, who finished as a finalist at the Vodafone Ghana Music Icons competition held in 2014, in Accra, Ghana, gained attention with her debut album Metanoia that, included hit singles like Awo and Julor. Her single Killi Mi won Best Video of the Year award at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards in 2019.  

Deborah Owusu-Bonsu is a Ghanaian musician, television presenter, and model. She achieved popularity when she started hosting The Late Nite Celebrity Show broadcast by e.tv Ghana. Deborah Owusu-Bonsu also hosted Gliterrati for a brief period after moving to GHOne Television before the show was taken over by Berla Mundi.

Born to a Scottish mother and a Ghanaian father, Lesley Lokko grew up to be not just an architect but also an educator and an author. Her written works deal with themes such as politics, urbanism, and racial identity. After her debut novel, Sundowners, became a bestseller, she penned several other novels.