Dorimon Traditional Council endorses policy to formalise female chieftaincy

The Dorimon Traditional Council in the Upper West Region of Ghana has approved a framework to formalize and streamline the Pognaa (queen mother or female chief) institution to enhance women's involvement in traditional governance. Led by Dr. Adams Sabogu, a development researcher and lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UBIDS), the eight-month consultative process aimed to tackle longstanding uncertainties and bolster women's roles in traditional leadership.

Presenting the framework at Dorimon Palace, Dr. Sabogu explained that his interest in the issue stemmed from observing a lone female leader among an all-male council of elders and witnessing a Pognaa's lament during the Damba festival that "men have given us guns, but they have taken away the bullets, so we can't shoot." The policy proposes selecting Pognaamini from daughters of royal lineages by the Yidaana, in consultation with female elders, and formally recognizing them as chiefs.

It also aligns their installation with that of male traditional rulers, removes certain ritual restrictions, and establishes grounds for destoolment. Pognaa Mieri Gaapie, the Dorimon Oli Pognaa, expressed that female traditional leaders had previously faced fear and tension in their interactions with male counterparts, but the new policy offers greater clarity and security regarding their status.

The Paramount Chief of the Dorimon Traditional Area, Naa Alhaji Seidu Tungbani Salinbile II, acknowledged that resistance to female traditional leadership often stemmed from misplaced assumptions and historical religious changes. He emphasized that the council perceives sociocultural norms and customary practices as pathways to progress, as long as they do not undermine the integrity of tradition.