Ghanaian rapper Kwame Nsiah-Apau, popularly known as Okyeame Kwame, has expressed support for women taking up the highest leadership positions in Ghana, saying he would vote for a female presidential candidate if she and a male contender were equally qualified.
Speaking in an interview on Joy Prime’s Changes show, the Rap Doctor said he believes women generally demonstrate greater empathy and are less likely to misuse public funds.
“If that woman and the man are both equally qualified and they’re equally responsible, I’ll vote for the woman because women usually, not all the time, have a bit more empathy and they’re less likely to steal from the state than men,” he said.
Okyeame Kwame, however, stressed that such a view should not be generalised, acknowledging that there have been instances where women in leadership have also been accused of misusing state resources.
He said his support for female leadership is largely based on his belief that women possess qualities such as empathy, care and nurturing, which he considers important in managing the affairs of a country.
“Women come with a lot of love, empathy, sympathy, nurture; they have that motherly thing where they care more about people. Men are inclined to care more about things as Jordan Peterson said. So, I think a women president will be dope,” he said.
Beyond his views on women leading the country, Okyeame Kwame also called for greater recognition of women who played significant roles in Ghana’s independence struggle.
He cited Susanna Al-Hassan, Naa Dedei Ashikishan, Theodosia Okoh, Mabel Danquah and Ama Nkrumah, whom he said he referenced in the third song of his “Big Up” project.
According to him, these women made significant sacrifices during the struggle for independence, with some losing their jobs or being imprisoned for their involvement.
He argued that their contributions have not received sufficient recognition and called for their stories to be incorporated into Ghana’s Social Studies curriculum.
“I want to see all of them in Social Studies books, I want students to write exams about them. I want young girls to know that we don’t only have the founding fathers, but there are also founding mothers,” he said.
Okyeame Kwame further suggested that prominent streets and public spaces should be named after some of the women to preserve their legacy.
“I want them to have their own roundabout; the founding mothers roundabout,” he added.
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