Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee (born 27 March 1947) is a Ghanaian former politician, business executive, and minister. Aryee is recognized for having served Ghana for more than 40 years in both the public and private sectors. From 2001 to 2011, she served as the chief executive officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and was the first woman in Africa to have held that role. She has also held political roles in Ghana from the early years of the PNDC government. She is currently the executive director of Salt and Light Ministries, a para-church organization. She is an Honorary Council Member of the Ghana Association of Restructuring and Insolvency Advisors.
Born to a Fante mother and a Ga father, Joyce is the second of four children. During her early years, she lived with her family in North Suntreso, Kumasi where she started her early years of education at Methodist Primary School and Methodist Middle School. She later went to Achimota School and graduated in 1969 from the University of Ghana, Legon with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in English.
During her study at the University of Ghana, she took a job (during holidays) at West Africa Examination Council in the Test Development and Research Office (TDRO). Also, she worked at the Ghana Museums and Monument Board with the administration. From 1976 to 1981, she worked as a Public Relations Officer at the then-newly established Environmental Protection Council. Later moved to the Ghana Standards Board (currently Ghana Standards Authority) as Public Relations Officer.
From 1982 to 1985, Aryee was appointed by the ex-president of Ghana Jerry John Rawlings as the secretary of information for the PNDC. From 1985 to 1987 she was Minister of Education and from 1987–88 Minister of Local Government. From 1988 to 2001 she was Minister of Democracy in the Office of the Prime Minister, and from 1993 to 2001 a Member of the National Defence Council.
In 2006, Aryee was given the Second Highest State Award, the Companion of the Order of the Volta in recognition of her service to the nation. She is also the recipient of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), Marketing Woman of the Year Award for 2007, and the African Leadership on Centre for Economic Development’s African Female Business Leader of the Year Award for 2009.
She was also awarded 2012 the Honorary Award of the Year, as well as was one of the pioneers and pillars of gospel music, at the Adom FM Ghana Gospel Industry Awards (GGIA) (2nd Edition).
Joyce Aryee was also honored in mining and public service at the maiden edition of the Women in Excellence award in 2011 and was nominated as the “2011 Woman of the Year” by the American Biographical Institute (ABI). She was the first female to receive the Inspirational Woman Award at the Ghana UK Based Achievement (GUBA) Awards 2015 for creating change, which paved the way for women.
Again, she won an award as the Public Relations Personality of the Year in 2014 from the Institute of Public Relations Ghana and was mentioned in the list of 100 Global Inspiration Women in Mining in the world. Aryee is an Honorary Fellow of the Ghana Institution of Engineers and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Mines and Technology in recognition of her immense contributions to the growth of the mining industry.
Achimota School named their 17th dormitory, ‘Rev Joyce R. Aryee House’ after her, in honor of her selfless service to the nation and commitment as well as contribution to her alma mater.
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