Grace Ayensu was a
Ghanaian politician. She was a member of parliament representing the
Western Region from 1960 to 1965 and the member of parliament for the Gomoa constituency from 1965 to 1966.
Ayensu was among the first women to enter the parliament of Ghana in 1960 under the representation of the people (women members) act. She was among the 10 women who were elected unopposed on 27 June 1960 on the ticket
Convention People's Party
The Convention People's Party (CPP) is a Socialism, socialist political party in Ghana based on the ideas of the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah. The CPP was formed in June 1949 after Nkrumah broke away from the United Gold Coast Conven ...
.
Early life and education
Grace was born on 24 September 1914 at
Elmina
Elmina, also known as Edina by the local Fante people, Fante, is a town and the capital of the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem Municipal District, Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem District on the south coast of Ghana in the Central Region, Ghana, Centra ...
.
She was educated at St. Peter's School in
Sekondi
Sekondi-Takoradi is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi – Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly and the Western Region of Ghana. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city and an indus ...
and the Elmina Convent in Elmina from 1921 to 1927.
Career and politics
Ayensu left school and became a trader in 1928. She traded in textiles, provisions and hardware. In addition to trading, she was involved the timber business from 1941 to 1958.
Ayensu volunteered for several organizations including serving as first woman President for the
Sekondi/Takoradi Consumers' Cooperative Society in 1945 and patron of the Sekondi/Takoradi branch of the National Youth League in the early 1950s.
In 1954 she was elected as a member of the
Sekondi/Takoradi Municipal Council.
That same year, she received a certificate of honour and a badge from the Department of Social Welfare for her voluntary services in
Sekondi/Takoradi Municipality. She served on the Sekondi/Takoradi Municipal Council until 1960. While a member of the council, she was a member of the Women Delegation to
Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
in 1958.
She was also the second Vice President of the National Federation of Ghana Women and the President of the federation for the Sekondi/Takoradi District.
She served on the Board of Governors of
Sekondi College
Sekondi College is a co-educational second cycle school in Sekondi in the Western Region of Ghana. It has a science and computer laboratories and other facilities.Its current location is in Inchaban, a suburb of Selondi
History
It was founded i ...
and Fijai Day Secondary School.
She also served on the Hospital and Prisons Visiting Committee.
On 27 June 1960 she was elected as a member of parliament as the first member for the
Western Region. In July 1965 she became the member of parliament for the Gomoa constituency. In September that same year, she was appointed the chairperson of the State Bakery Corporation. She remained in these positions until February 1966 when the
Nkrumah government
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the first Prime Minister and first President of Ghana. Nkrumah had run governments under the supervision of the British government through Charles Arden-Clarke, the Governor-General. His first government under colonial r ...
was overthrown.
Personal life
Grace Ayensu was married to an administrator who worked with the Ghana railways. She had ten children. Her son
Edward S. Ayensu is an international development advisor on science, technology and economic development. Her hobbies were gardening and singing.
She died on 11 February 1975.
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayensu, Grace
Ghanaian MPs 1956–1965
Ghanaian MPs 1965–1966
Convention People's Party (Ghana) politicians
20th-century Ghanaian women politicians