The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has appointed Ms. Joycelyn Quashie, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Dayi, as a member of the Bureau of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians of the global parliamentary organisation.
Ms. Quashie, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Ghana Chapter of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, takes up the position to represent the African Group on the Bureau.
In an official correspondence to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the IPU confirmed that “Ms Joycelyn Quashie was put forward and elected by the Forum to take up the vacant position.”
According to Mr. Jonathan Lang, Project Officer, IPU, the Ghanaian delegation had earlier nominated Madam Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, MP for Ada, to serve on the Bureau; however, her nomination was later replaced due to the age eligibility requirements outlined in the Rules of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians.
Speaking to the GNA, Ms. Quashie revealed that she was not part of the Ghanaian delegation that attended the 151st IPU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, where the decision was made.
“I was contacted by Ms Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, who explained that her age made her ineligible for the position. She asked me to forward my details for consideration, which I did,” she said.
Ms. Quashie described her subsequent appointment as “good news,” adding that, Ms Cudjoe facilitated her appointment with the blessings of the delegation that represented Ghana, bringing to the fore her advocacy for younger women’s rights.
The Forum of Young Parliamentarians was established by the IPU in 2013 to promote youth inclusion in parliaments and ensure intergenerational representation in democratic processes.
It was created in response to the global concern that less than three percent of the world’s MPs are under 30 years old, despite young people making up more than half of the world’s population.
Its main objectives are to increase youth representation in national legislatures, encourage youth-friendly political systems, and support young legislators to play active roles in governance.
Over the years, several young Ghanaian MPs have participated in IPU’s youth-focused initiatives, including Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Mr. Francis-Xavier Sosu and Mr John Ntim Fordjour, prior to the appointment of Ms. Joycelyn Quashie.
Her appointment is expected to strengthen Ghana’s contribution to youth representation and policy engagement within the global parliamentary community.
