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Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwabre East Constituency in the Ashanti region has been recognized by the African Women Impact Summit as Africa most inspiring lawmaker of the year 2021.
The honor is in recognition of the MP’s sterling performance and commitment towards transformational leadership as a distinguished parliamentarian.
Francisca Oteng-Mensah, the awardee, became a Member of Parliament at the of age 23, and as the youngest parliamentarian in Ghana on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party in 2016 in one of the biggest constituency in the Ashanti region.
Her impact in the constituency gave her a resounding second term with the highest percentage in vote margin in a region with 47 constituencies.
She won 2016 massively with the highest votes margin and same was repeated in 2020, the highest in the history of the NPP on whose ticket she contested.
The citation reads: “You have raised the profile of young people across the African Continent and your story and achievements must be used to inspire more people.”
Receiving the award, Hon. Francisca Oteng Mensah expressed gratitude to AWIS for the honors.
“Year in, year out I receive awards both home and away. But this is one of the prestigious awards received this year. I’m grateful to AWIS”, said the legislator.
“Let me add this, that women today are CEOs, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and much more. Our innovation and compassion allow us to be great leaders and inspire the next generation to reach greater heights than ever before.
“To my fellow young women and youth at large, be inspired to do more to make Africa a better place. Once again, I say thank you for the recognition”, she added.
The year’s Africa Women Impact Summit (AWIS 2021) was held at the Sheraton Hotels and Tours in Abuja, Nigeria.
It was themed “The Africa we want – Inclusion, leadership capacity and influence; The role of women in Africa’s economic and Political future.”
AWIS 2021 aims at harnessing, validating and amplifying the contributions of African women and their diasporan counterparts in Africa’s growth, security and prosperity.
The goal at the summit is to help expand the African affairs workforce, advance women’s leadership in the workplace, and promote the critical role of the diaspora in Africa’s development.
Persons who graced the occasion included: Her Excellency (H.E.) Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi; H.E. Chief Dr. Jewel Taylor, Vice President of Liberia and H.E Dr. Bibi Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim, former President of Mauritius.
Others were: Dr. Folorunsho Alakija, Africa’s Richest woman; Dr. Justina Mutale, Founder and President of Justina Mutale Foundation; Amb. Mary Beth Leonard, U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, former Chairman, Board of Directors of First Bank of Nigeria Limited.
