Ghana’s Most Beautiful (GMB) 2022 2nd runner-up, Asiedua Afanyi, has highlighted the persistent cultural barriers that continue to hinder women from fully exploring their potential in Ghana.
In a discussion on MX24 on November 20, 2025, Asiedua explained that certain long-standing societal beliefs still place unfair limits on what women are expected, or allowed to do.
According to her, the environment she grew up in shaped how gender roles were defined, often to the detriment of women.
“I think we should quickly go back in time, taking it from the space I grew up. We were told that men have to do certain things. It’s a man’s job to go and marry and woman.
“It’s a man’s job to occupy certain positions so gradually, it became more like a stereotypical kind of field where women couldn’t even bring out what they had in them,” she said.
Asiedua pointed to cultural norms as one of the biggest obstacles, noting that many communities continue to hold outdated beliefs about a woman’s place in society.
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“One of the things I would say is a bigger barrier is our cultural norms. I think we’ve grown so much as a society where we think that women’s place is in the kitchen. That’s not how it’s supposed to be,” she stated.
She emphasised that Ghana is evolving, and women must now be included in meaningful national conversations beyond traditional roles.
“We’re diversifying as a country, a community, a society. Now, it’s not just our job to make sure that children are fed. We have to be part of the actual conversation,” she shared.
Asiedua added that aside from cultural restrictions, women still face various biases, especially from men, which further contribute to inequality.
“I think that our cultural norms are a great barrier, then we have all these other biases with men and all of that,” she said.
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