Akua Sena Dansua facts for kids

Quick facts for kids HE. Akua Sena Dansua
Member of the Ghana Parliament for North Dayi
In office 7 January 2001 – 7 January 2013
Preceded by	Stephen George Obimpeh
Succeeded by	George Loh
Majority	27,108
Minister for Tourism
In office January 2011 – January 2013
President	John Atta Mills
Preceded by	Zita Okaikoi
Minister for Youth and Sports
In office January 2010 – January 2011
President	John Atta Mills
Preceded by	Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo
Succeeded by	Clement Kofi Humado
Minister for Women and Children's Affairs
In office February 2009 – January 2010
President	John Atta Mills
Preceded by	Hajia Alima Mahama
Succeeded by	Juliana Azumah-Mensah
Personal details
Born	(1958-04-23) 23 April 1958 (age 67) Hohoe, Ghana
Political party	National Democratic Congress
Spouse	divorced
Children	3
Residences	Accra, Ghana
Education	Mawuli School
Alma mater	University of Ghana, Legon Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
Occupation	Politician, Media and Communications Consultant, Gender Activist, Governance and Leadership Practitioner and Consultant
Profession	Journalist

Sena Dansua speaking at a Women in Development session on Equality of opportunity versus equality of outcome on 23 April 2012 in Doha

Akua Sena Dansua, born on April 23, 1958, is a Ghanaian politician and expert in media and communication. She used to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for the North Dayi area in Ghana. She also served as Ghana's Ambassador to Germany.

Early Life and Education

Akua Dansua was born in Hohoe, Ghana, on April 23, 1958. Her family comes from Botoku, a town in the same region. She started her schooling at Kadjebi-Akan Local Authority Experimental Primary and Middle School. Later, she attended Mawuli School in Ho.

She studied to become a journalist at the Ghana Institute of Journalism in Accra. In 1990, she earned a postgraduate degree in Communication Studies from the University of Ghana at Legon. She also has a master's degree in Governance and Leadership from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.

Career Highlights

Akua Dansua worked at the Electoral Commission of Ghana from 1979 to 1980. From 1983 to 1987, she was the Chief Reporter for the Nigerian Reporter newspaper.

She also worked as a journalist for the Weekly Spectator newspaper in Accra, Ghana. She became the Features Editor there before moving into politics. She has also advised the National Council on Women and Development. She was a media consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Currently, she leads Advocates for Gender and Development Initiatives-Ghana. This is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Kpando. She is also a board member for Africa in Democracy and Good Governance (ADG) in The Gambia.

Her Journey in Politics

Akua Dansua is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) political party. She was appointed as the District Chief Executive for Kpando under the government of Jerry Rawlings.

She first became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 2001. She represented the North Dayi area. Later, she became a Minister, holding important roles. She served as Minister for Women and Children's Affairs, then Youth and Sports, and finally Tourism.

Serving as a Member of Parliament

Dansua was an MP for three terms, from January 2001 to January 2013. She was part of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th parliaments of Ghana's 4th Republic. As an MP, she also took on special tasks. For example, she was part of the Commonwealth Observer Team for The Gambia's presidential election in 2006. She also joined Ghana's parliamentary group at a conference in Abuja, Nigeria.

Winning the 2000 Elections

In the 2000 Ghanaian general elections, Dansua was elected as the MP for North Dayi. She won with the National Democratic Congress party. Her victory helped the NDC win 17 out of 19 parliamentary seats in the Volta Region. Overall, the NDC won 92 out of 200 seats in that election.

She received 23,962 votes, which was about 73.8% of all valid votes. She won against candidates from other parties.

Becoming a Minister

Akua Dansua first became a minister in 2009. President John Evans Atta Mills appointed her as Minister for Women and Children's Affairs. She held this role from February 2009 to January 2010.

In January 2010, she became the first female Minister for Youth and Sports. After serving for a year, she was appointed Minister for Tourism on January 4, 2011. She took over from Zita Okaikoi.

Serving as an Ambassador

In May 2014, President John Dramani Mahama appointed Dansua as Ghana's Ambassador to Germany. In this role, she worked to promote Ghana's tourism. She also looked after Ghanaians living in Germany. She helped build good relationships with the German government until January 2017. She also served as Ghana's Ambassador to Latvia starting March 10, 2015.

Professional Groups and Boards

Dansua is a member of many important groups and organizations. She is part of the African Women Development Fund (AWDF). She used to be the chairperson of the West Africa Media Network (WAMNET). Dansua also served as vice-president of the Association of Women in the Media (ASWIM) Ghana. When she was a journalist, she was an executive member of the Parliamentary Press Corps.

In 2005, Dansua was a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) University College Council. She has also joined the UNITE Parliamentarian network. This network works on global health issues.

Awards and Special Recognition

Akua Dansua has been recognized for her leadership in helping women. She was honored by the Women's Law and Human Rights Institute of the Art Foundation.

When she was a journalist, she received several awards. One notable award was the Dag Hammarskjold fellowship in 1991. The United Nations Correspondents Association gave her this award. It was for being the most promising journalist from Africa. As part of her prize, she got to attend the 46th UN General Assembly session in New York in 1991.

Personal Life

Akua Dansua is divorced and has three children. She is a Christian and belongs to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. In her free time, she enjoys doing social work, listening to music, reading, having discussions, and browsing the internet.

See Also

• North Dayi
• Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs
• Ministry of Youth and Sports (Ghana)