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President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Krowor, as the Minister designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Dr Lartey is a Ghanaian politician, academic, a legislator, a women’s right activist, a local government practitioner, and a development practitioner born on April 16, 1976, in Nungua (Krowor) her hometown. She began her political career in 2000 and in 2011 became the first female Presiding Member of the then Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA), a position she held until 2013.
The MP contested in the 2016 General Election on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) but lost to Elizabeth Afoley Quaye of the New Patriotic Party. Undeterred, she contested again in the 2020 General Election and won by 41,850 votes, representing 55.80 per cent of the total votes cast. Dr. Lartey is the first female to be elected as an MP for Krowor on the ticket of the NDC and has served the Constituency since 2021.
Her vision is to create empowered communities where individuals can contribute to the development and growth of Krowor. As an MP, she has implemented various projects, including Providing financial assistance to small enterprises and entrepreneurs in her constituency, organizing skills training programs for unemployed youth, among others. Dr. Lartey is a strong advocate for women’s rights and empowerment, and her work reflects her commitment to creating positive change in her community.
The MP completed her Ordinary and Advanced Level Certificates at Nungua Secondary School and West Africa Secondary School, respectively. Dr. Lartey pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management at Central University, obtained her Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development at the University of Cape Coast, Master of Philosophy Degree (MPhil) in Leadership at the University of Professional Studies, Accra. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
For over two decades, the MP has served with national and international organisations in various capacities and at different levels, including but not limited to her previous roles as: an ECOWAS In-Country Expert on the Children on the Street Project in 2017, Executive Director, “Global Initiative on Rights and Development” (GIRD), Accra. The rest are, a Consultant-Facilitator for the “Natural Resources and Environmental Governance” (NREG) Mission in Ghana (hosted by the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana), Accra, Research/Organisational Support for the “Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa” (LAWA) – Ghana.
Project Coordinator, “The Ark Foundation” (REAP-Rights, Empowerment, Access, and Participation- under the DFID funded Rights and Voice Initiative Programme) Project, Accra and Eastern Regions, Administrative/Projects Support Officer, Concern Universal. Dr. Lartey was also elected in 2011 as the second Vice President of the “National Association of Local Authority (NALAG), which is the mouthpiece of all Local Authorities in Ghana and later became its General Secretary in 2013, the first female to occupy that high office.
She has been a member of several progressive groups, including Member of the Steering Committee, Women’s Manifesto Coalition (WMC) of Ghana, Member of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), Women’s Law and Human Rights Institute (WLHRI), National Coalition on Domestic Violence (NCDV) and a partner, ABANTU for Development.
The MP in 2021, she won the Ambassador for Peace Award by the Universal Peace Federation – Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD) and was also one of the five recipients of the “Most Inspiring Woman in Politics”, at the “Ghana Most Inspiring Women’s Awards, 2019”. Dr. Lartey was inducted into the Nobles International Hall of Fame in 2015 upon winning the Nobles International Award.
Source: GNA
