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 IPU, takes up the position to represent the African Group on the Bureau.
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In a 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 at the IPU, the Ghanaian delegation had initially nominated Madam Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, MP for Ada, for the position. However, her nomination was replaced due to age eligibility requirements under the Rules of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians.
Speaking to the GNA, Ms Quashie said 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 appointment as “good news,” adding that Ms Cudjoe had facilitated her nomination with the support of Ghana’s delegation, highlighting her continued advocacy for the empowerment of young women in leadership.
Established in 2013, the Forum of Young Parliamentarians aims to promote youth inclusion in parliaments and ensure intergenerational representation in democratic processes.
The Forum was created in response to concerns that less than three per cent of the world’s MPs are under 30 years old, despite young people constituting more than half of the global population. Its core objectives include increasing youth representation in national legislatures, promoting youth-friendly political systems, and supporting young legislators to take active roles in governance.
Over the years, several young Ghanaian MPs, including Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Mr Francis-Xavier Sosu, and Mr John Ntim Fordjour/ have participated in IPU’s youth-focused initiatives.
Ms Quashie’s appointment is expected to strengthen Ghana’s representation in the IPU and enhance youth participation and policy engagement within the global parliamentary community.
