My life is not limited to Miss Ghana - Brigitte Dzogbenuku

SHE may never lose the tag of being a beauty queen after winning Miss Ghana in 1990 but soon-to-be confirmed flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) for the 2020 elections, Brigitte Dzogbenuku, says she is tired of the never-ending comments about that role.

According to the old student of Wesley Girls High School, who was crowned Miss Ghana on Saturday, November 3, 1990, even though she cared about her looks, it was about time people saw beyond that to her competencies.

“Sometimes I ask myself, ‘have I done anything apart from Miss Ghana?’. It is as if my life is limited to Miss Ghana but you know, I’ve got brains too and have many potentials that have been limited to Miss Ghana.

“I quite remember when I was selected as the vice presidential candidate of the PPP, every time my name was mentioned, being a former Miss Ghana always preceded without mention of my professional ventures and engagements and that was quite interesting,” she stated.

Despite her issues with how being a Miss Ghana has dwarfed her other achievements, the graduate of the University of Ghana admitted that the beauty pageant also shaped her for life after school.

Brigitte also mentioned how sad she was at the scandals that had rocked the prestigious pageant in recent years but said her brand could not be affected since her reign had been over for almost three decades.

“I’ve also heard these rumours but there is no proof. The truth is that I have not been following the pageant for some years now and don’t even know who the current queen is but all hope is not lost, they can put the right measures in place, that is, if the rumours are anything to go by.
 
“My brand cannot be affected in any way, not at all. November 3 will be 30 years since I was crowned Miss Ghana and so perhaps, I am now Miss Ghana’s grandmother. It is my sincerest wish that they will overcome the challenges,” she stated.

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Brigitte Dzogbenuku is the founder and Executive Director of Mentoring Women Ghana (MWG), which runs programmes that inspire and empower young women and girls to make a positive difference in their communities. Her commitment to the cause won her the Fortune/Goldman Sachs Women’s Leadership Award in 2008.

She is driven by the Ghanaian woman’s strong will to succeed no matter the odds and has a dream of seeing women in key leadership roles in Ghana. Hence, being selected as running mate to Paa Kwesi Nduom in the 2016 elections was perhaps, an answer to her desires.

Sharing her experience, she disclosed that though people saw her as an underdog in the political space, she had developed a large constituency before that time.

“I had public exposure through Miss Ghana and although I was not publicly politically inclined, I have had a lot of influence. I have worked for years and built a bigger constituency and led a good life for people to testify that I am a good person. I didn’t have to officially be part of any political party to qualify for that position,” she noted.