Meet the two modern day ‘Yaa Asantewaas’ who have fought for a ‘better Ghana’ agenda

• They were both not deterred by insults, threats, and criticisms from opposing forces

• One was arrested, the other was not

Yvonne Nelson and Efia Odo have proven not to be ‘mere slay queens’ but galvanized supporters and championed the awareness for the course of a better Ghana.

They have lent their support towards some biggest movements, a bold endeavor that, many feared to venture in due to the risk of losing money, fans and gigs.

1. Yvonne Nelson

In 2015, one of the greatest street protests was witnessed in Ghana and it was spearheaded by Yvonne Nelson.

The popular actress who helped popularize the hashtag #DumsorMustStop on Twitter and other social media platforms further took it to the streets and championed a mass protest against the consistent power fluctuations during the erstwhile Mahama administration.

The country at the time was plagued with incessant power outages and the government was blamed for a lack of capacity to fix the problem.

Yvonne was joined by thousands of other demonstrators, many of whom also dressed in black and carried torches and lanterns to signal their frustration with the erratic power supply. She was also accompanied by other celebrities.

Based on her actions, she was nicknamed ‘Yaa Asantewaa’.

“Yaa Asantewaa is a huge name. And it’s really humbling that anyone would call me Yaa Asantewaa. As a matter of fact, I love it. I’m gonna put it in there. Yvonne Yaa Asantewaa Nelson,” she said.

Popular actress and socialite, Efia Odo is one of the leading advocates of the #FixTheCountry agenda which first started in May 2021 on social media.

The actress who has remained grounded in her decision to demand the improvement in living standards of citizens has decided to stop at nothing until government ‘sits up’.

Although many of her colleagues who started the campaign have dropped along the line, Efia Odo remains resolute in her fight.

Amidst the insults, trolls, and threats from politicians, the social media influencer seems to still have an interest in ‘sticking out’ her neck for Ghanaians.

She was arrested together with 15 other protesters at the Accra High Court on June 24, 2021, after they were sighted holding placards and taking photographs outside the premises of the court hearing the case with respect to whether or not the group should be allowed to stage a street protest.

This however has not deterred the actress from pushing through with the protest.

Born in 1840, Yaa Asantewaa was an influential Ashanti queen at the beginning of the twentieth century who remains a powerful symbol today. Yaa Asantewaa led the famous war known as the War of the Golden Stool in 1900 against the British.