Disability rights advocate and development practitioner Veronica Denyo Kofiedu has received the Peacebuilding and Advocacy award at the inaugural Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) Women’s Awards 2026.
The ceremony, held on 30 September 2026, celebrated women’s leadership under the theme “Breaking Barriers and Building Nations: Celebrating Women in Outstanding Leadership in Ghana.”
Madam Kofiedu is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women with Disability Development and Advocacy Organisation (WODAO), a women-led organisation working to advance disability inclusion, gender equality, access to justice and inclusive governance.
With more than 20 years’ experience in disability rights advocacy and development, she has worked to promote the rights, dignity and participation of women and girls with disabilities, including women with psychosocial disabilities.
The award citation recognised Madam Kofiedu’s contribution to peacebuilding, advocacy and the leadership of women with disabilities.
It noted that she had trained more than 500 civil society representatives and mentored young women with disabilities, helping strengthen their participation in women’s rights organisations and create pathways to leadership.
The citation also commended her work to challenge barriers that have limited the visibility and participation of women with disabilities in civic and social life.
Moved by the national honour, Madam Kofiedu said the award represented more than personal recognition.
“With a grateful heart, I dedicate my GAAS Women’s Award 2026 – Category 12: Peacebuilding & Advocacy to all women and girls with disabilities in Ghana,” she said. “This award is more than a personal recognition—it is a celebration of our voices, resilience, leadership and contributions to nation-building.”
“When one woman breaks a barrier, many others find a pathway. Together, let us continue to rise, lead and build an inclusive Ghana.”
Madam Kofiedu is a founding member of the Network of Women with Disabilities Africa (NEWDA) and a founding member and former board member of the Africa Disability Institute.
She has also served as Volta Regional President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations.
Alongside her advocacy work, she is a Senior Account Officer with the Electricity Company of Ghana and a trained paralegal with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA–Ghana).
Her professional and advocacy experience includes work on access to justice, accountability, policy implementation and the meaningful participation of women with disabilities in decision-making.
Established by an Act of Parliament in 1959 on the initiative of Ghana’s first Prime Minister, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences has historically stood as the pinnacle of evidence-based thought leadership and academic excellence.
Welcoming guests and fellows, the President of GAAS, Emerita Professor Isabella Akyinbah Quakyi, explained that the newly instituted Women’s Awards seek to spotlight the vital “quiet factor”—the often-unseen contributions of women whose work transforms communities away from the glare of corporate boardrooms and parliament.
“National development does not happen only in Parliament, corporate boardrooms, or other places of prominence,” Emerita Prof. Quakyi stated. “It also happens in our local markets, schools, clinics, communities, and workplaces, where women are making meaningful contributions every day. By recognising these women, we affirm that leadership and excellence can emerge from every sphere of society. Breaking barriers is not always about occupying the most visible position; sometimes it is about opening doors for others.”
The ceremony’s broader message was that leadership can emerge from every part of society, and that breaking barriers includes opening doors and creating opportunities for others.
Ms Kofiedu’s award recognises both her advocacy and the pathways she has helped create for women and girls with disabilities.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
