A beauty pageant or beauty contest is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants.
Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, talent, character, and charitable involvement, through private interviews with judges and answers to public on-stage questions.
Miss Ghana was no different
The Miss Ghana Beauty Pageant was started by the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1957 as an initiative to offer the “Independent” Ghanaian woman a platform to positively impact society. It is the biggest and oldest national beauty pageant in Ghana with Monica Amekoafia becoming the first-ever Miss Ghana.
The winner of the competition represents the country at the Miss World to compete with beauty queens from the other countries in the world. In 1959, Ghana debuted at Miss World with Star Nyaniba Annan. There have been two candidates (1990 and 1991) who represented Ghana at Miss World but were not Miss Ghana titleholders. There have been occasions where Ghana was not represented at Miss World even though there was a titleholder. Aside from Miss World, the Pageant is also responsible for sending representatives to Miss ECOWAS. The winner also signs a one-year contract with the pageant organizer to become the spokesperson for their various charities.
The event was first organized by the Public Works Department (PWD). Over the years, the organization and management of the Pageant have changed hands from Malinro Ventures, through Media Whizz Kids, Sparrow Productions and back to Media Whizz Kids. Currently, the pageant is being organized and managed by Exclusive Events Ghana, an events management company headed by Miss Inna Mariam Patty, (Miss Ghana 2004). In essence, the core idea, Beauty with a Purpose, has not changed though the role of women in society keeps evolving. There is therefore the need for a platform to showcase the emerging and challenging roles of women today. It is important to emphasize that the transition in management will not alter the essence of the Pageant which is “Beauty with a Purpose beginning 2012. Exclusive Events Ghana will introduce innovative and exciting approaches in selecting the finalists to attract the right quality of ladies. In addition, the new management will also introduce mutually rewarding concepts to pique the interest and involvement of all stakeholders of the Miss Ghana Brand.
Past Beauty Queens
Year Name of Titleholder
1957 Monica Amekoafia
1958 Janet Boateng
1959 Star Nyaniba Annan
1960 Comfort Kwamena
1961 – 1966 No pageant
1967 Araba Martha Vroom
1968 Lovell Rosebud Wordie
1969 – 1985 No pageant
1986 Magdalene Adjabeng
1987 Augustina Henaku
1988 Dzidzo Abra Amoa
1989 Afua Amoah Bonsu
1990 Bridgitte Dzorgbenuku
1991-1993 No Pageant
1994 Matilda Aku Alomatu
1995 Manuela Medici
1996 Shiela Azuntaba
1997 Benita Golomeke
1998 Efia Owusuaa Marfo
1999 Miriam Sugru Bugri
2000 Ewurafua Hawkson
2001 Selasi Kwawu
2002 Shaida Buari
2003 Serena Naa Ashi Roye
2004 Inna Mariam Patty
2005 Lamisi Mbillah
2006 Irene Dwomoh
2007 Frances Takyi-Mensah
2008 Mawusi Apnea
2009 Mimi Are
2010 Stephanie Karikari
2011 No Pageant
2012 Naa Okailey Shooter
2013 No pageant
2014 No Pageant
2015 No pageant
2016 Delali Kemavor
2017 No Pageant
2018 Margaret Dery
2019 Nana Ama Benson
2020 Chelsea Tayui
2021. Naa Morkor Commodore
Monica Amekoafia was first the Miss Ghana who won the first edition of the Miss Ghana that was held in 1957 while representing Trans-Volta Togoland in the present day known as the Volta Region. Precisely she is from a town in the Volta Region named Alvanyo in Gold Coast.
During the contest, her number was nine (9) because all people from the Volta Region are called Number 9. She was born on the year 30th June 1934 and was greeted to glory on the 24th of June 1990 at the age of 55 years.
Mrs Monica Amekoafia was born to Augustus Amekoafia and Anastasia Apau in June 1934 at Alavanyo in the Trans-Volta Togoland in the Gold Coast.
She later married a Ghanaian diplomat, Henry Kofi Marrah in London, United Kingdom. At the time of the marriage, Mrs Monica Marrah had two sons from a previous relationship.
Henry already had three children, a son and two daughters from his previous marriage. Between them, they had four children, Henrietta, born in London in October 1958, Kofi, also born in London in June 1960, and Vivien, born in Prague then in Czechoslovakia in August 1963.
The fourth and last born, Edward, was born in Accra in March 1969. Following his appointment as Ambassador to Czechoslovakia in 1961, the Marrah family moved to Prague that year. In 1963 Monica’s husband was posted to Hungary where she and her family lived until 1966.
Following the coup d’état that replaced the Nkrumah government with the military National Liberation Council on 24 February 1966, she returned to Ghana with her family. Monica settled down to life in Ghana where though basically a housewife, she engaged in different trades working from home.
Her primary trade was making, she also engaged in the tie and dye business and soap making among others. In the final years of her life, she ran a drinking bar at a place called Kokomlemle near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
Monica’s fame was evident when she appeared at public places such as the popular M guy Market in Accra were market women flocked to see and hailed her when she went shopping.
When the family took time off to relax at the popular Labadi Beach in the late 1960s, it was not unusual for the Master of Ceremonies at the dance bandstand to announce her presence to the crowd.
Her husband, Henry, who had gone into private business after his diplomatic career, died in September 1985. She also died from an asthma attack on 24 June 1990.
Mrs Monica Marrah, the former Miss Ghana Monica Amekoafia, remains a relevant figure to this day evidenced by frequent references to her in the news media and her immortalisation on newsreels and documentaries from the independence period.
During the celebration of Ghana’s 50th independence anniversary, several activities were organized in her name to which her children were invited. A statue was also unveilhonour her honour of Hohoe in the Volta Region of Ghana.
Mrs Monica Marrah Amekoafia, descend her beauty on the Ewe land to make the ladies from Volta Region a proud number nine (9).
No wonder Ewe ladies have been known for their beauty.
Thank you for reading. See you again!
Queenie Diva
Reference:Mr Kofi Marrah.