Agormanya (E/R), Nov. 21, GNA - The Judicial Secretary, Mrs Regina Apotsi, has been honoured by the Manya Krobo queenmothers and professional women groups, hailing from the area, for becoming the first female to have ascended to that position and also for her immense contributions towards the emancipation of women. Mrs Apotsi, a former Presiding Member of the Manya Krobo District Assembly, was presented with a garland of beads among other gifts by the queenmothers at the ceremony at Agormanya, a suburb of Odumase Krobo on Sunday.

The paramount queen of Manya, Manye Mamle Okleyo, decorated her and presided over the award ceremony.

In her acceptance speech, Mrs Apotsi, in a mark of modesty in contrast to the powerful post she now wields, described herself as "an ordinary girl", who rather considered the farmers and market women, who have braved the odds to enable women, like her, reach their current status as extraordinary.

She recalled the travails she had to endure during her educational pursuits, including failing in some examination papers, repetition in classes and said it was her determination and the faith others had in her that earned her the post.

She told her largely female audience, drawn from all sections of the Krobo community, that her achievements should encourage young children not to be perturbed by their current social standings, since through hard work, they could always sail through life's challenges. To spur on the girl-child education in the Manya Krobo area, Mrs Apotsi announced a scholarship and counselling scheme with the Krobo Girls Secondary being the first beneficiary of five-million-cedi seed money to reward the best performing first year student each year. In an address read for her, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Miss Susana Mensah, described the achievements of Mrs Apotsi as "an attestation of the fact that the world has equal chances for both sexes" and was happy Ghanaians now saw it fit to address systems and years of discrimination against women.

The chairperson for the Manya Krobo Rural Bank, Mrs Anne Sowah, traced the life history of the Judicial Secretary through her days at Sekondi College and after a 17-year gap, entered the University of Ghana and later the Ghana Law School, saying, this should serve as a morale booster for young girls.

Nene Sakite, Konor of Manya Krobo, extolled the virtues of Mrs Apotsi and urged her to continue to inspire the youth of the area for greater laurels.