Queen Mothers of Ghana: The Ohemaa Tradition

When European colonial administrators first arrived on the Gold Coast, they encountered a political system they fundamentally misunderstood. Operating under strict Victorian assumptions about gender and power, the British sought out the "kings" to negotiate treaties, sign trade agreements, and assert control. They assumed that the women who sat beside the chiefs in the royal courts were merely wives, decorative figures with no real constitutional authority. This fatal misunderstanding of the Akan political structure would eventually lead to the greatest military humiliation the British Empire ever suffered in West Africa.

The women the British ignored were not wives. They were the ohemaa, the Queen Mothers. In the matrilineal societies of the Akan people, which include the Ashanti, Fante, and Akyem, power is not a solitary patriarchal enterprise. It is a dual monarchy, carefully balanced between male and female authority. The Queen Mother is the co-ruler, the genealogist of the royal lineage, the principal advisor to the chief, and the ultimate kingmaker. This narrative explores the deep historical roots of the Queen Mother tradition, unpacking the complex judicial, spiritual, and political roles these women have played for centuries. It examines their systemic marginalization during the colonial era and their ongoing fight for formal constitutional recognition in the modern Republic of Ghana.

## Understanding the Dual Monarchy

To comprehend the power of the ohemaa, one must first understand the fundamental organizing principle of Akan society: the matrilineage (the *abusua*). The Akan believe that a person inherits their spirit (*ntoro*) from their father, but their blood (*mogya*) from their mother. Therefore, family identity, clan affiliation, property rights, and, crucially, royal succession are passed exclusively through the female line. A king does not pass the throne to his son. The throne passes to his brother, or to his sister's son. The women are the source of the royal blood.

Within this framework, every town, village, and paramountcy has a dual leadership structure. The male ruler, the *ohene* (chief), represents the executive and military authority of the state. The female ruler, the *ohemaa* (Queen Mother), represents the moral, spiritual, and genealogical authority. She is not the wife of the chief. She is usually his mother, sister, aunt, or cousin. The relationship is political and structural, designed to ensure that neither gender holds absolute, unchecked power over the community.

The selection of a new chief provides the clearest demonstration of her constitutional power. When a stool becomes vacant, it is the sole customary prerogative of the Queen Mother to nominate a candidate. She consults with the senior women of the royal clan, evaluates the character, lineage, and physical suitability of the eligible men, and presents her choice to the kingmakers (the *Gyaase* council). If the council rejects her nominee three consecutive times, only then does the selection process pass out of her hands. The ohemaa is, quite literally, the maker of kings.