Hajia Samira (right) during the programme in Washington
In a powerful installment of the Clean Cooking Alliance’s Leadership Series at Washington DC, USA, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dymphna van der Lans re-announced Hajia Samira Bawumia—Ghana’s former Second Lady—as a Global Champion of the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA). This is in recognition of her unwavering commitment to clean cooking, women’s empowerment, and climate justice.
From the onset of her advocacy, Hajia Samira Bawumia has rooted her mission in an urgent reality: millions of African women and children suffer from the toxic smoke of traditional cooking methods. She shared in the Leadership Series conversation: “This is not just an energy issue, it is a critical matter of health, gender equality, climate justice, and economic empowerment.”
Through her initiatives—including the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP) and the African Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC)—she has amplified awareness and driven tangible change across the continent.
The Clean Cooking Alliance: A Cornerstone for Global Impact
Founded in 2010 and rooted in support from the United Nations Foundation, the CCA (formerly the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves) is a leading non-profit tackling household air pollution and promoting clean cooking technologies in low- and middle-income countries.
Household air pollution claims roughly four million lives each year, primarily through exposure to harmful smoke from open-fire cooking. The CCA advocates for clean cooking as a vital component of global health, climate, and development strategies; it provides grants, supports research, sets standards for clean cookstoves, and builds cross-sector partnerships.
When asked about the significance of her re-appointment, Mrs. Bawumia expressed gratitude and continued resolve: “I am honoured by this renewed mandate as a Global Champion for CCA. What gives me hope is the visionary leadership of CCA and its unwavering mandate to make clean cooking a global priority.”
Her message is clear: clean cooking isn’t a peripheral concern—it’s foundational. She urges governments to integrate clean cooking into national strategies, donors to increase funding, and the private sector to invest in transformative, female-led innovations.
As the former Second Lady returns to the frontlines of CCA’s global movement, her renewed role signals both recognition and rededication to relentless advocacy. “It has been a privilege to walk this journey with CCA over the past six years, and I look forward to continuing our work together until we’ve ensured a cleaner, healthier, more equitable future for all,” she added.
CCA’s Leadership Series spotlights remarkable figures driving bold action toward universal access to clean cooking—from global policymakers to innovators at the grassroots.