Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves Names Ghanaian Second Lady Samira Bawumia as Ambassador
Ghana’s second lady H.E. Mrs Hadjia Samira Bawumia is the latest Ambassador to join the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. Mrs. Bawumia joins former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Academy Award-winning actor Julia Roberts, and Grammy-nominated musician Rocky Dawuni to work with the Alliance and its partners to raise awareness of household air pollution and encourage broader adoption of clean cooking solutions in developing countries.
[pullquote]In Ghana, eight out of ten people cook with solid fuels such as wood and charcoal, leading to significant impacts on health, gender equality, and the environment. The toxic emissions from cooking this way leads to nearly 20,000 premature deaths each year.
“Across Ghana, I have seen the widespread impacts of cooking first hand, especially among girls and women,” said Mrs. Bawumia. “I look forward to using my voice and passion to help the Global Alliance increase the use of cleaner cooking solutions and to ensure that cooking no longer kills.”
Fellow Ghanaian and Alliance ambassador Rocky Dawuni welcomed the second lady and said he looked forward to working with her in Ghana and beyond.
“Far too many people in Ghana and around the world still cook over open fires and with heavily polluting fuels,” Dawuni said. “Ms. Bawumia will be a strong ally in our work to improve health, empower women, and protect the environment, and I look forward to joining her as an Alliance Ambassador.”