Among the nominees at the inaugural Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) Women’s Awards honoured with a certificate and award was Awula Serwah, Executive Director of Eco-Conscious Citizens. She was nominated in the Environmental Stewardship category “in recognition” of her “sustained advocacy for the protection of Ghana’s forests, water, soil and natural ecosystems”.
The event, which was attended by Vice President Professor Naana Opoku-Agyemang, took place at the Kwame Nkrumah Auditorium in Accra on September 30, 2026.
Serwah also had the honour of giving the collective vote of thanks on behalf of the nearly three dozen nominees, who represented a wide range of endeavours, including health, education, entrepreneurship and technological innovation.
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“It is a great privilege to be nominated for the first Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences Women’s Awards and to be asked to speak on behalf of the awardees,” said Serwah.
“We say ‘shidaa’ and commend GAAS for acknowledging the role and priceless work of this diverse group of ladies and recognising that true nation-building requires us to appreciate everything that is done by all of us to make a difference.”
Referring to the words of Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, she added: “It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference.” Serwah noted that Maathai’s “little thing” was planting trees, which ultimately led to the founding of the Green Belt Movement and its far-reaching environmental impact.
She used the occasion to reiterate a point highlighted at the recent A Rocha Ghana, the Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape (CCAL) and Eco-Conscious Citizens joint press conference, at which a document on the imminent extinction of Atewa Forest was presented. This is one of the reasons for the Eco-Conscious Citizens’ Atewa Matters campaign, which aims to secure greater protection for the forest through its designation as a National Park.
“We currently face an existential threat from irresponsible mining, and I urge us all to join the campaign to protect our environment,” she continued. “100 years ago, Atewa Forest, which is a Globally Significant Biodiversity Area, was made a Forest Reserve. It is the source of water to over five million Ghanaians and the habitat for endangered fauna and flora.
“Sadly, it is now being decimated. A Rocha Ghana warns us that, at this rate, there will be no Atewa by the end of the year. So let’s join the campaign to have Atewa Forest Reserve declared a National Park to afford greater protection.”
She concluded: “God placed us in the Garden of Eden for a reason, and He has mandated us to take care of the environment. Once again, ‘shidaa’ for the awards.”
Going forward, if there is no marked improvement in the fight against illegal mining, Eco-Conscious Citizens plans to launch a campaign to have Ghanaian gold designated “Blood Gold” in international markets, in an effort to encourage stronger government action against the illegal mining menace.
