African wax print specialist Vlisco has announced Yawa Hansen-Quao, a social entrepreneur and female leadership advocate as the Vlisco Ghana Ambassador for 2021.

To coincide with International Women’s Day, Vlisco unveiled Yawa Hansen-Quao during an exclusive interview held in the Vlisco boutique at Accra Mall as part of activities to celebrate its annual Vlisco Women’s Month (VWM) campaign.

This year’s theme Unite for Better, pays tribute to women supporting other women to realise their dreams and is also a celebration of women as active drivers of positive change, united in shaping a more equal future.

Vlisco Ambassador 2021

Yawa Hansen-Quao, Executive Director of Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) and Founder of the non-profit organisation, Leading Ladies Network will succeed Edith Uyovbukerhi, Co-Founder of LittleBigSouls International.

Yawa was chosen for her role in nurturing emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurship in Africa for close to a decade through her foundation, the Leading Ladies Network.

Her work in this space has trained young women to be instruments of social change, supporting them in all areas and preparing them to be servant leaders in their chosen fields.

Yawa is also renowned for her work with EPL in accelerating African development and economic growth through building a stronger civil service.

Commenting on the appointment Mr Stephen Badu, Marketing Director of Vlisco Ghana, said, “We’re excited to have Yawa, a great achiever and passionate advocate for women on board as the Vlisco Ghana Ambassador for 2021.

"She has a strong track record in the professional development of women, which is a critical aspect of our work with women in Ghana. We believe her story is an inspiration to many women who have resolved to serve as impactful leaders in various fields.”

He further highlighted her trailblazing corporate governance experience including serving on the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community and has served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Women’s Institute for Global Leadership at Benedictine University, USA.

Yawa also currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Ashesi University in Ghana. Yawa has also served as a leadership consultant to UN Women, assisting in the development of leadership curricula to enhance the capacity of women leaders in East and Southern Africa.

Yawa has earned many accolades for her remarkable achievements in mentoring young women. Notable is her recognition as one of Africa’s Rising Leaders at the World Economic Forum on Africa and the Eisenhower Fellowship award in honour of her pioneering work in nurturing emerging women leaders.

As part of the unveiling, Yawa received a Vlisco donation of €5,000 which will go towards the Emerging Public Leaders of Ghana to support the mentoring and professional development of young men and women who aspire to positions of public leadership in Ghana.

The Vlisco Women’s Mentoring Program

The Vlisco Women’s Mentoring Program is a Vlisco initiative to champion the role of women in the Ghanaian society. The platform aims at impacting the lives of young Ghanaian women by providing guidance on developing key skills in a variety of relevant areas.

VWM, which is celebrated throughout the month of March will conclude at the end of this month with a virtual mentoring event featuring the new and past Vlisco ambassadors as well as industry experts to provide mentees who are part of the mentoring program with insights on professional and personal development as well as tips on wellness, self-care, and lifestyle management, which is crucial during these uncertain times.

During the event, Vlisco will also announce the new cohort of mentees to begin a yearlong mentorship program creating a forum where they can actively engage with all the Vlisco ambassadors who aim to have a positive impact on the younger generation that aspire to follow in their footsteps.

To find out more about the Vlisco Ambassador for Ghana 2021, please click on this video link.