Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie Reflects on Mentorship and Political Journey

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has reflected on how the mentorship of celebrated actress Maame Dokono and the late former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings profoundly influenced her personal and professional development.

Speaking with George Quaye on Prime Time on Joy Prime, Minister Gomashie recounted the pivotal moments that shaped her journey.

“Maame Dokono mentored me from my early years in the arts. Faith then brought me to Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings,” she said, highlighting the late First Lady’s lasting impact on her life. “May she continue to rest in peace,” she added, paying tribute to her memory.

Gomashie also spoke about her longstanding dedication to women’s advocacy, noting her collaboration with Nanahemaa Adowa Weandoh over the years. “Supporting women has always been a calling for me,” she said, emphasizing that her core values of boldness and principled action were instilled well before her political career.

Raised as a Ga woman by Catholic parents in Burma Camp, she recalled how discipline, punctuality, and respect were central to her upbringing. A memorable childhood lesson occurred when she returned home late one day, breaking curfew: “That day, I saw my father throw my checked suitcase away. That was his way of telling me I had crossed a line.”

Gomashie also reflected on her creative beginnings, revealing that she studied creative arts in secondary school and excelled as a dancer. “The arts were my first love,” she said, noting that her experiences living in Ethiopia with her late husband, who served as Ghana’s defence attaché, expanded her cultural perspective and shaped her current approach to the creative sector.

A major turning point in her political journey came when she noticed the lack of female representation from the southern Volta Region in Parliament. “I realized that in the whole of the southern part of the Volta Region, no woman had ever been to Parliament. It was traumatizing,” she said. That realization motivated her to run for office, and her eventual victory has since inspired many aspiring female leaders.