The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has appointed Hon. Joycelyn Quashie, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Dayi, as a member of the Bureau of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, the youth wing of the global parliamentary organization.
Hon. Quashie, who also serves as Chairperson of the Ghana Chapter of the IPU, will represent the African Group on the Bureau.
In an official communication, the IPU confirmed that “Hon. Joycelyn Quashie was put forward and elected by the Forum to take up the vacant position.”
According to Mr. Jonathan Lang, Project Officer at the IPU, Ghana’s delegation had initially nominated Hon. Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, MP for Ada, for the role. However, her nomination was later withdrawn due to the age eligibility requirements stipulated in the Rules of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians.
Hon. Quashie explained that she was not part of the Ghanaian delegation that attended the 151st IPU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, where the decision was made.
“I was contacted by Hon. Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, who explained that her age made her ineligible for the position. She asked me to forward my details for consideration, which I did,” Hon. Quashie recounted.
She described her appointment as “good news,” acknowledging Hon. Cudjoe’s instrumental role and the support of the Ghanaian delegation. “Hon. Cudjoe’s continued advocacy for young women’s empowerment has once again come to the fore,” she added.
Established in 2013, the IPU’s Forum of Young Parliamentarians aims to promote youth inclusion in parliaments and ensure intergenerational representation in governance. The initiative responds to the global concern that fewer than 3% of the world’s MPs are under 30 years old, even though young people constitute more than half of the global population.
The Forum seeks to increase youth representation in national legislatures, foster youth-friendly political systems, and empower young legislators to play active roles in policymaking and leadership.
Over the years, several young Ghanaian MPs, including Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings (Klottey Korle), Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu (Madina), and Hon. John Ntim Fordjour (Assin South), have contributed to IPU’s youth-focused initiatives.
Hon. Quashie’s appointment is expected to further strengthen Ghana’s role in advancing youth representation and inclusive policy engagement within the global parliamentary community.