Ghana’s retired Supreme Court Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo became the first woman elected Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament on Wednesday. Speaker Bamford-Addo was sworn in by Chief Justice Theodora Wood after she was elected to the position unanimously, reported Bua News.
Bamford-Addo now ranks third in the leadership hierarchy of Ghana, behind the President and Vice President. Majority leader Alban Bagbin told The Statesman that Ghana is “waking up to the reality of equality of gender and so the appointment of Justice Bamford-Addo demonstrated the fairness and inclusiveness of all individuals in the democratic process.”
After training as a lawyer in the United Kingdom, Speaker Bamford-Addo was appointed the Assistant State Attorney and rose to Director of Public Prosecution before becoming a Supreme Court Justice in 1991. She sat on the Supreme Court of Ghana until 2004, reported Ghana Web.
