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Samira Bawumia

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Samira Bawumia
Second Lady of Ghana
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 January 2017
PresidentNana Akufo-Addo
Preceded byMatilda Amissah-Arthur
Personal details
Born
Samira Ramadan

(1980-08-20) August 20, 1980 (age 44)
Sabon Zango, Accra, Ghana
CitizenshipGhana
SpouseMahamudu Bawumia
ParentAhmed Ramadan (father) Ayesha Ramadan (mother)
Education
OccupationPolitician

Philanthropist

Advocate
Known forSamira Empowerment & Humanitarian Projects (SEHP)
ReligionIslam
EthnicityFulani
Websitehttps://sbawumia.org

Samira Bawumia (née Ramadan) (born on Wednesday, 20 August 1980)[1][2] is a Ghanaian politician and the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana.[3] She is married to the Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia.[4][5] She received the Ghanaian Women Association of Georgia Global Humanitarian Award, an honor from the Atlanta City Council and is also recognized by the Macon Bibb country. She graduated from the University of London with a bachelor’s degree in law.

Early life

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Bawumia was born in 1980 and is the only daughter of Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, the former National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Hajia Ayesha Ramadan.[6][3][7]

Education

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Bawumia began her early education at the Answarudeen Islamic School[8] at Fadama and moved to Alsyd Academy in Dzorwulu, Accra. She continued to Akosombo International School (AIS) and attended senior secondary education at Mfantsiman Girls' Secondary School at Saltpond in the Central Region of Ghana.

Samira Bawumia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, Social Science in law, Sociology and Technology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). At the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA)[9] where she had her postgraduate studies, she was awarded the Best Student in Master of Business Administration (MBA) in the year 2012.[10]

In March 2023, Bawumia announced on her Instagram handle with graduation photos that, she has graduated from the University of London, UK with a Bachelor's degree in Law. She indicated that despite COVID-19, she took advantage of the online programme offered by the UK institution by enrolling in a law degree.[11][12][13]

She is multi-lingual, fluent in Hausa language, Fulani,Ewe, Ga language , Twi, Fanti and Mamprusi.[14]

Humanitarian initiatives

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Bawumia is the founder and CEO of the Samira Empowerment & Humanitarian Projects (SEHP), described as a not-for-profit organization established with the purpose of empowering the underprivileged in Ghana through diverse social intervention projects to improve lives.[15][16] In November 2019, she donated library books to Police Basic Schools in the country to inculcate the habit of reading in children. This was an initiative of her 'Library in the box' project which has the objective of making books available to schools.[17] She also started the Samira Bawumia literature prize to encourage and honour writers and Creatives between the ages of 15 and 25. The first winners of the scheme were crowned at the Fitzgerald in Accra on Monday, 27 July 2020.[18]

The Samira Empowerment & Humanitarian Projects also has the passion of empowering women. The organization has championed visions, invested in educating and empowering women.[19] One notable project she did was "Needles4Girls", where she enrolled about 2,500 girls into fashion schools across the country with the aim of empowering them by providing them with decent means of livelihoods.[20] She also donated 3,000 Ghana cedis each to 70 women in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana to support their trading activities.[21] Samira Bawumia believes in giving women opportunities to empower them in making a difference in the economy of Ghana.[22]

Politics

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Samira Bawumia became prominent on the political scene when her husband, Mahamadu Bawumia, was the running mate of the candidate Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) in the 2016 election.[23][24][25][26][27] Since then, she has been a constant feature, supporting her husband who following the electoral victory in that election, became the Vice President of Ghana. The NPP got re-elected in 2020 and Samira's husband was sworn in as Vice President for a second term.[28]

Months leading to the 2020 elections as Second Lady of the Republic, she was seen on the campaign trail across the country urging voters to vote for the New Patriotic Party and her husband as Vice-President for a second term [29][30][31] as well as calling the NPP party to unity in the upcoming elections to retain victory.[32][33]

In 2021, Bawumia and the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, rejected new emoluments for Article 71 office holders which included the spouses of Vice-President and President of the Republic of Ghana. They refunded all salaries previously paid to them since 2017.[34][35][36][37]

In May 2023, Bawumia and the NPP stormed Kumawu to campaign for the Member of Parliament aspirant on the party ticket to win the seat.[38][39]

Recognition

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In 2018, Bawumia was made an Ambassador for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and joins the late former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Academy Award-winning actor Julia Roberts, and Grammy-nominated Ghanaian musician Rocky Dawuni to work with the Alliance and its partners to raise awareness of household air pollution and encourage broader adoption of clean cooking solutions in developing countries in a bid to create cleaner environments and eradicate deaths caused by pollution from the burning of solid fuels for cooking.[40]

The African Women of Excellence Awards, a scheme organized by the African Union in partnership with the Diasporan African Forum (DAF) recognized Bawumia on 29 September 2018, in Sandton City-Johannesburg, South Africa, for her contribution to peace within social, political and economic spheres.[41]

In 2019, she was acknowledged as the first of seven individuals honored by Sustainable Energy for All in conjunction with Ashden. This was in recognition of her efforts towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 7, which is to ensure access to modern reliable, renewable, and affordable energy for all by 2030.[42][43][44]

At the 7th Annual Maternity Fundraising Gala of the Ghanaian Women Association of Georgia, Bawumia was honoured with three awards for her humanitarian activities and interventions. The awards included Macon-Bibb County Award, GWAG Humanitarian Award and the Atlantic City Council Award presented by the Mayor of the County, Lester Miller.[45][46] In 2023, Bawumia was one of the Keynote speakers at the World Biogas Summit held in Birmingham, United Kingdom.[47][48]

Personal life

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Bawumia is married to the Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia and they have 4 children.[1][49][50] She gained widespread attention during the 2016 Ghanaian Parliamentary and Presidential election season. She advocated against corruption and the ineffective administration of state resources.[51]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gracia, Zindzy (2018-08-17). "Profile: Samira Bawumia biography and pictures". Yen - Ghana news. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  2. ^ "Samira Bawumia, Biography". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  3. ^ a b "Samira Bawumia Unveiled".
  4. ^ Nyabor, Jonas (2016-12-11). "Samira Bawumia laud Ghanaians for voting NPP". Ghana News. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  5. ^ "Samira recounts how she met her husband Dr. Bawumia". Pulse Ghana. 2020-03-10. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  6. ^ "PNC's Chairman to retire from politics". Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always. 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  7. ^ Asare, Wilberforce (2020-10-18). ""Get everyone out to vote for NPP," Alhaji Ramadan, ambassador to UAE, charges NPP Frontiers". Asaase Radio. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  8. ^ "All you need to know about Samira Bawumia". pulse ghana. 2016-12-09. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  9. ^ "GIMPA – Center of Excellence". Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  10. ^ "Samira Bawumia Shines And Glows At GIMPA".
  11. ^ "Samira Bawumia graduates with law degree from University of London". myjoyonline. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  12. ^ Dzakpata, Fred (2023-03-14). "VIDEO: Samira Bawumia graduates from University of London with degree in law". Asaase Radio. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  13. ^ Arthur, Portia (2023-03-14). "Samira Bawumia stuns in ruffled African print dress for her graduation in the UK". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  14. ^ Adu, Alice. "Profile: All you need to know about Samira Bawumia". Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  15. ^ "About SEHP". SEHP. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  16. ^ Gracia, Zindzy (2018-08-17). "Profile: Samira Bawumia biography and pictures". Yen- Ghana news. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  17. ^ "Second Lady donates library books to Police Basic Schools". Graphic Online. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  18. ^ "Winners of 1st edition of Samira Bawumia's literature prize awarded". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  19. ^ "sehp-homeb - Samira Empowerment & Humanitarian Projects". Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  20. ^ "Samira Bawumia Rolls Out Needles for Girls Project In Tamale". DailyGuide Network. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  21. ^ "70 women get GH¢3,000 support from Samira Bawumia's entrepreneurial initiative". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  22. ^ "1,200 women benefit from Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects". GhanaWeb. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  23. ^ Awal, Mohammed (2023-07-17). "Samira Bawumia: the quintessential political spouse". The Business & Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  24. ^ Allotey, Godwin Akweiteh (2016-11-28). "Samira Bawumia campaigns in Northern Region". Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  25. ^ Boateng, Kojo Akoto (2016-12-04). "We won't forget NDC's lies on election day – Samira Bawumia". Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  26. ^ Online, Peace FM. "Samira Bawumia Campaigns In WR". Peacefmonline - Ghana news. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  27. ^ "Etse Sikanku: Samira Bawumia – The quintessential political spouse". myjoyonline. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  28. ^ "NDC is bereft of ideas - Samira Bawumia". The Independent Ghana. 2020-03-09. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  29. ^ "Vote for NPP - Samira Bawumia tells Upper East Region". 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  30. ^ "Second Lady, Hajia Samira Bawumia tours Afram Plains". 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  31. ^ "Government committed to developing Zongo communities - Samira Bawumia". 2020-10-14. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  32. ^ "Unite for victory in 2020— Mrs Bawumia". 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  33. ^ "Retain NPP in power come 2020 - Mrs. Bawumia". 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  34. ^ "Samira rejects new emoluments; pledges to refund allowances paid her since 2017". 2021-07-13. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  35. ^ "Samira Bawumia to refund allowances paid her since 2017". 2021-07-13. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  36. ^ AriseNews (2021-07-14). "Ghana's Second Lady Samira Bawumia Bows to Public Outrage, Set to Refund Allowances". Arise News. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  37. ^ "Presidential spouses emoluments: Supreme Court sets May 4 to give ruling". myjoyonline. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  38. ^ "Bawumia, Samira storm Kumawu to rally support for NPP candidate ahead of by-election". GhanaWeb. 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  39. ^ "Bawumia and Samira rally support for NPP candidate in Kumawu ahead of Tuesday's by-election". myjoyonline. 20 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  40. ^ "Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves Names Ghanaian Second Lady Samira Bawumia as Ambassador". cleancookstoves. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  41. ^ "Samira Gets International Award". DailyGuide Network. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  42. ^ "Samira Bawumia receives top UN award". Graphic Online. 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
  43. ^ Starrfm.com.gh (2019-10-07). "Samira Bawumia receives Top UN award". Starr Fm. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  44. ^ "Second Lady Samira Bawumia receives top UN award". 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  45. ^ GNA (2022-05-18). "Hajia Samira Bawumia honoured in Atlanta, USA". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  46. ^ "Samira Bawumia receives humanitarian awards in US". GhanaWeb. 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  47. ^ summit-admin (2022-03-24). "The World Biogas Summit 2023 | Rick Duke, White House Liaison for John Kerry, and H.E. Hadjia Samira Bawumia, Second Lady of Ghana, to headline World Biogas Summit 2022". The World Biogas Summit 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  48. ^ "The World Biogas Summit 2022 | Samira Bawumia". The World Biogas Summit 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  49. ^ "Samira Bawumia, Biography". ghanaweb. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  50. ^ "Glitz top 100 inspirational women – Page 100 – Glitz Africa Magazine". Retrieved 2022-05-28.
  51. ^ "Samira Bawumia Profile". Sbawumia.org. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
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