Article: Salome Donkor
Participants at this year’s two-day summit organised by the Eagle Women’s Empowerment Club (EWEC) in Accra had a good and fulfilling experience, as well as a leaning and impacting process that will lead to a greater commitment to help empower African women.
Some of the participants had varied expectations and hoped to be enlightened on the opportunities available to them to give them easy access to loans that would enable them to expand , set up new businesses or climb the corporate ladder.
Others expected to be exposed to innovative ways of doing businesses to enable them to venture into more challenging areas, while some participants also expected to share ideas on business policies that impact positively on their companies and improve their lives.
The Principal of New Business Division of the Ghana Export Promotions Council (GIPC), Mr Isaac Okine, offered a lot of information for the participants in this respect and encouraged them to invest in such areas as power and gas, agriculture, the financial services, tourism, information technology, manufacturing and industries.
He allayed the fears of the women and told them that unlike the negative perception that people, especially women, had about doing business in the country, there were flexible conditions such as tax rebates which included a corporate tax rebate of eight per cent on export income for non-traditional exports; 22 per cent for hotels and 25 per cent for all other activities.
The summit was organised under the auspices of Eagle Productions Limited in collaboration with Africa Business Women’s Network (ABWN), in Accra. It was held on the theme "Synchronising Global Business- A New Orientation for The African Woman".
It brought together women entrepreneurs from Ghana and other West African countries who shared ideas on issues relating to high interest rates and other economic barriers that prevented small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) from flourishing.
Ms Josephine Hayford of Hay Looks Unisex Fashion With Pride deals in embroidery, Buobuo, Agbada, Kalftan, Kente and Asokey, was among a number of exhibitors at the summit.
She said with her natural “Beauty by Design Concept”, she won the Best Young Entrepreneur of the Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs between 1997 to 2003, adding that her sense of style, which is key to her continuing strides and achievements in the sector, made her the best producer of elegant, gorgeous and stunning African wears for all ages, women, men and children.
Ms Jennifer Nwachukwu of Designer’s Choice, whose organisation, located on the Spintex Road in Accra, designs hats, beads and headgear and markets lace materials, shoes, bags and perfumes, expressed optimism that the summit would open new doors for the organisation.
A fashion designer, Ms Doris Owusu Ampomah of Leorus Collection, who markets formal, evening and bridal wear, as well as embroidery designs and interior decorations, spoke about the role of small-scale enterprises in national development , said they needed financial support to expand their businesses.
The President of EWEC, Ms Juliet Asante, said there was the need to encourage women to build their skills and develop their potential in support of the nation’s growth and advancement since they constituted more than half of the nation’s population.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Women’s involvement in ‘galamsey’ - Causes and effects
Article: Salome Donkor
It would be difficult to find words to console the grief-stricken families of the victims of the mining tragedy that hit Dompuase, near Wassa Akropong, in the Western Region.The accident, described as one of the biggest mining tragedies in the country, claimed 18 lives, including that of 14 women, who were buried alive when a landslide struck while they were working in a mining pit last Tuesday.
The deceased were said to be part of a team of about 30 people working in the pit. The accident left one survivor who is also a woman.
While sympathsing with the bereaved families and extending our condolences to them, it is equally important to continue to talk about the accident to collate views from the public on how to resolve the problem and to impress on those in authority to make mining laws effective.
A statement made on the tragedy by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Amenfi East, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, in whose constituency the accident occured, indicated that the women went into the mining pit to carry gold-bearing limestone as a means of livelihood.
According to the MP, almost all the deceased women were single parents who were catering for between two to five children.
It also said two of the women were breastfeeding mothers who always carried their babies strapped to their backs as they worked in the pit but the babies were saved on that fateful day as their mothers decided to leave them in the care of others.
The tragedy brought to the fore the need for state institutions to monitor and control the work of artisanal miners and force them to comply with safety measures.
It also showed the anxiety and determination of rural poor women to make ends meet, though through the most hazardous way.
‘Galamsey’, which is the corrupt version of the phrase, “gather and sell”, is a form of small-scale mining that takes place without official approval. It is carried out openly and often the operators get into confrontation with the law agencies and do not care where the precious mineral must be gathered and sold.
According to Mr Aidoo, the business has one of the largest following in the country in terms of work force and ancillary activities, and those engaged in the bisuness often encroach on the mining concessions.
He said there were over 5,000 people directly involved in the business in the Amenfi East Constituency, while there was an estimated 20,000 people involved in the business in Prestea, with a number of people also in Tarkwa Nsauem, Telekubukazo, Mpohor, Sefwi Juaboso, Bibiani, Obuasi, Konongo, Wa, Bole and wherever gold is.
A survivor in the Dompuase accident was reported to have stated that the pit owner contracted six men and 24 women who entered the pit for the day’s galamsey business and those engaged in the operation did so with simple implements such as shovels, pans, bamboo sticks and even their bare hands, in some cases.
The menial and risky jobs that involve stone digging, crashing, grinding, washing and carrying, mostly invloved children aged between eight and 17 years, who are recruited into galamsey operations, instead of being in school or under some apprenticeship for skills and trade.
As the Dompuase galamsey tragedy was discussed in the media, contributors to the discussions tried to assign reasons for the circumstances that compel women in their prime age and children to desperately dare to engage in such a deadly venture. Some said it was out of desperation for job, hence the need for the government to promote and co-ordinate policies that will enhance the well-being of women and children. Others also attributed the issue to parental neglect and irresponsibility on the part of fathers.
Clearly, the phenomenon of galamsey is a multi-faceted issue that requires a multi-sectoral attention and these concerns seem to have been addressed by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, when he delivered the government's Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the 2010 Fiscal Year that was presented to Parliament on Wednesday.
The minister outlined measures aimed at achieving the government’s objective of promoting women empowerment through the delivery of social programmes targeted at poverty reduction, and indicated that GH¢ 103.8 million is to be allocated to reduce poverty in the country.
He said the amount, which is the government’s projection of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) spending for 2010, is to help improve on the financial ability of the poor in the country, most of whom are women and children.
The minister contended that the initiative and other poverty relief initiatives formed part of the government’s policies to protect especially, the vulnerable, rural and urban poor, as well as facilitate the survival, protection and development of the Ghanaian child.
He mentioned other initiatives as the Livelihood Empowerment Programme (LEAP) which he said was going to be allocated with GH¢12 million, the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority programme which will be allocated with GH¢25 million, rural electrification, GH¢30 million and the National Youth Employment Programme, which will benefit from a GH¢15 million package.
To sum up the words of Mr Aidoo, looking for gold or diamonds should not become the only preoccupation of the youth and as he suggested, the enabling conditions should be created to present new but equally lucrative opportunities for the youth and unemployed women.
After announcing these poverty alleviation initives, the next step is to ensure that these initiatives do not remain on paper but effectively implemented to benefit the people.
Furthermore, the call by Mr Aidoo for the strengthening of the country’s mining laws to encourage the use of machinery and equipment in the small-scale mining sector is also valid since it was through such a situation that one could make it impracticable for the use of child labour and eliminate all forms of women labour in unprotected mining pits.
It is obvious that the galamsey phenomenon cannot be eliminated but the work of artisanal miners could be monitored and controlled by state institutions.
It would be difficult to find words to console the grief-stricken families of the victims of the mining tragedy that hit Dompuase, near Wassa Akropong, in the Western Region.The accident, described as one of the biggest mining tragedies in the country, claimed 18 lives, including that of 14 women, who were buried alive when a landslide struck while they were working in a mining pit last Tuesday.
The deceased were said to be part of a team of about 30 people working in the pit. The accident left one survivor who is also a woman.
While sympathsing with the bereaved families and extending our condolences to them, it is equally important to continue to talk about the accident to collate views from the public on how to resolve the problem and to impress on those in authority to make mining laws effective.
A statement made on the tragedy by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Amenfi East, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, in whose constituency the accident occured, indicated that the women went into the mining pit to carry gold-bearing limestone as a means of livelihood.
According to the MP, almost all the deceased women were single parents who were catering for between two to five children.
It also said two of the women were breastfeeding mothers who always carried their babies strapped to their backs as they worked in the pit but the babies were saved on that fateful day as their mothers decided to leave them in the care of others.
The tragedy brought to the fore the need for state institutions to monitor and control the work of artisanal miners and force them to comply with safety measures.
It also showed the anxiety and determination of rural poor women to make ends meet, though through the most hazardous way.
‘Galamsey’, which is the corrupt version of the phrase, “gather and sell”, is a form of small-scale mining that takes place without official approval. It is carried out openly and often the operators get into confrontation with the law agencies and do not care where the precious mineral must be gathered and sold.
According to Mr Aidoo, the business has one of the largest following in the country in terms of work force and ancillary activities, and those engaged in the bisuness often encroach on the mining concessions.
He said there were over 5,000 people directly involved in the business in the Amenfi East Constituency, while there was an estimated 20,000 people involved in the business in Prestea, with a number of people also in Tarkwa Nsauem, Telekubukazo, Mpohor, Sefwi Juaboso, Bibiani, Obuasi, Konongo, Wa, Bole and wherever gold is.
A survivor in the Dompuase accident was reported to have stated that the pit owner contracted six men and 24 women who entered the pit for the day’s galamsey business and those engaged in the operation did so with simple implements such as shovels, pans, bamboo sticks and even their bare hands, in some cases.
The menial and risky jobs that involve stone digging, crashing, grinding, washing and carrying, mostly invloved children aged between eight and 17 years, who are recruited into galamsey operations, instead of being in school or under some apprenticeship for skills and trade.
As the Dompuase galamsey tragedy was discussed in the media, contributors to the discussions tried to assign reasons for the circumstances that compel women in their prime age and children to desperately dare to engage in such a deadly venture. Some said it was out of desperation for job, hence the need for the government to promote and co-ordinate policies that will enhance the well-being of women and children. Others also attributed the issue to parental neglect and irresponsibility on the part of fathers.
Clearly, the phenomenon of galamsey is a multi-faceted issue that requires a multi-sectoral attention and these concerns seem to have been addressed by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, when he delivered the government's Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the 2010 Fiscal Year that was presented to Parliament on Wednesday.
The minister outlined measures aimed at achieving the government’s objective of promoting women empowerment through the delivery of social programmes targeted at poverty reduction, and indicated that GH¢ 103.8 million is to be allocated to reduce poverty in the country.
He said the amount, which is the government’s projection of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) spending for 2010, is to help improve on the financial ability of the poor in the country, most of whom are women and children.
The minister contended that the initiative and other poverty relief initiatives formed part of the government’s policies to protect especially, the vulnerable, rural and urban poor, as well as facilitate the survival, protection and development of the Ghanaian child.
He mentioned other initiatives as the Livelihood Empowerment Programme (LEAP) which he said was going to be allocated with GH¢12 million, the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority programme which will be allocated with GH¢25 million, rural electrification, GH¢30 million and the National Youth Employment Programme, which will benefit from a GH¢15 million package.
To sum up the words of Mr Aidoo, looking for gold or diamonds should not become the only preoccupation of the youth and as he suggested, the enabling conditions should be created to present new but equally lucrative opportunities for the youth and unemployed women.
After announcing these poverty alleviation initives, the next step is to ensure that these initiatives do not remain on paper but effectively implemented to benefit the people.
Furthermore, the call by Mr Aidoo for the strengthening of the country’s mining laws to encourage the use of machinery and equipment in the small-scale mining sector is also valid since it was through such a situation that one could make it impracticable for the use of child labour and eliminate all forms of women labour in unprotected mining pits.
It is obvious that the galamsey phenomenon cannot be eliminated but the work of artisanal miners could be monitored and controlled by state institutions.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Childhood mortality rates differ in rural, urban areas - Says 2008 GDHS
Story: Salome Donkor
The 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) has established that childhood mortality rates in the country differ by residence. According to the survey, the under-five mortality rate for the 10-year period before the survey in urban areas is 75 per 1,000 live births compared to 90 per 1,000 live births in rural areas.
The report however indicated that childhood mortality is decreasing in Ghana. Currently, 50 children per 1,000 live births die before their first birthday. It gave the breakdown as 30 per 1,000 live births, before the age of one month and 21 per 1,000 between one and 12 months.
These figures, according to the survey, showed dramatic decreases over the 20-year period since the 1988 GDHS. The report indicated that under five mortality rate in the country per 1,000 live births was 155 in 1988, which decreased to 119 in 1993, then decreased further to 108 in 1998 and increased to 111 in 2003.
In respect of infant mortality rates, the figures for the country per 1,000 live births during the same period were, 77 in 1988, 66 in 1993, 57 in 1998, 64 in 2003 and 50 in 2008.
Various reasons are attributed to the decrease in infant and under five mortality rates. According to the survey, spacing children, at least 24 months apart, reduces risk of infant death, indicating that, in Ghana, the median birth interval is 40 months. However, about 1 in 7 (14 per cent) infants in Ghana, are born less than two years after a previous birth.
Infants born less than two years after a previous birth have particularly high infant mortality rates (131 deaths per 1,000 live births) compared with 58 for infants born four years after the previous birth).
The GDHS also said almost all Ghanaian women (95 per cent) receive some antenatal care from skilled provider, most commonly from a nurse or midwife (63 per cent) and a doctor (24 per cent), adding that more than three-quarters of women had the recommended four or more antenatal visits, and 55 per cent of women had an antenatal care visit by their fourth month of pregnancy, as recommended.
Accessing antenatal and postnatal care enabled more women to take iron tablets or syrup and intestinal parasite drugs during their last pregnancy before the survey. Women who received antenatal care during their most recent births were informed of the signs of the complications of pregnancy, and were also protected against neonatal tetanus.
The survey indicated that over the past two decades, vaccination coverage had increased from 47 per cent in 1988 to 79 per cent in 2008. It said 79 per cent of Ghanaian children, aged 12 - 23 months, received all recommended vaccines (one dose of BCG and measles and three doses each of DPT and polio) at any time prior to the survey.
The report said during the two weeks before the survey, 1 in 5 Ghanaian children under five had diarrhoea, adding that the rate was highest (33 per cent) among children aged 12 - 23 months, and advised mothers to give children who had diarrhoea more fluids, particularly oral rehydration salts (ORS) since the survey established that the majority of mothers (90 per cent) know about ORS packets.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that children receive nothing but breast milk (exclusive breastfeeding) for the first six months of life. Infants should not be given juices, other milks or complementary foods until six months of age, yet 17 per cent of Ghanaian infants under six months receive complementary foods.
To reduce the risk of malnutrition, the survey recommends that complementary foods should be introduced when a child is six months old, in addition to breastfeeding.
The Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices recommend that children aged between 6 and 8 months should be fed from three or more food groups at least twice a day in addition to breastfeeding, and for children aged between 9 to 23, at least three times a day.
The GDHS, which also included haemoglobin testing for women aged 15 to 49 and children 6-59 months, established that more than three-quarters of children (78 per cent) have some form of anaemia.
It said anaemia among children was higher in rural areas than in urban areas, and decreased as mother’s education and wealth increase, adding that almost 9 in 10 children in the Upper East and Upper West regions are anaemic.
The 2008 GDHS was designed to provide data for monitoring the population and health situation in the country and has brought to the fore information that can guide policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.
The objective of the survey was to provide up-to-date information on fertility, family planning, childhood mortality, nutrition, maternal and child health, domestic violence and related knowledge and behaviour on HIV and AIDS.
The 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) has established that childhood mortality rates in the country differ by residence. According to the survey, the under-five mortality rate for the 10-year period before the survey in urban areas is 75 per 1,000 live births compared to 90 per 1,000 live births in rural areas.
The report however indicated that childhood mortality is decreasing in Ghana. Currently, 50 children per 1,000 live births die before their first birthday. It gave the breakdown as 30 per 1,000 live births, before the age of one month and 21 per 1,000 between one and 12 months.
These figures, according to the survey, showed dramatic decreases over the 20-year period since the 1988 GDHS. The report indicated that under five mortality rate in the country per 1,000 live births was 155 in 1988, which decreased to 119 in 1993, then decreased further to 108 in 1998 and increased to 111 in 2003.
In respect of infant mortality rates, the figures for the country per 1,000 live births during the same period were, 77 in 1988, 66 in 1993, 57 in 1998, 64 in 2003 and 50 in 2008.
Various reasons are attributed to the decrease in infant and under five mortality rates. According to the survey, spacing children, at least 24 months apart, reduces risk of infant death, indicating that, in Ghana, the median birth interval is 40 months. However, about 1 in 7 (14 per cent) infants in Ghana, are born less than two years after a previous birth.
Infants born less than two years after a previous birth have particularly high infant mortality rates (131 deaths per 1,000 live births) compared with 58 for infants born four years after the previous birth).
The GDHS also said almost all Ghanaian women (95 per cent) receive some antenatal care from skilled provider, most commonly from a nurse or midwife (63 per cent) and a doctor (24 per cent), adding that more than three-quarters of women had the recommended four or more antenatal visits, and 55 per cent of women had an antenatal care visit by their fourth month of pregnancy, as recommended.
Accessing antenatal and postnatal care enabled more women to take iron tablets or syrup and intestinal parasite drugs during their last pregnancy before the survey. Women who received antenatal care during their most recent births were informed of the signs of the complications of pregnancy, and were also protected against neonatal tetanus.
The survey indicated that over the past two decades, vaccination coverage had increased from 47 per cent in 1988 to 79 per cent in 2008. It said 79 per cent of Ghanaian children, aged 12 - 23 months, received all recommended vaccines (one dose of BCG and measles and three doses each of DPT and polio) at any time prior to the survey.
The report said during the two weeks before the survey, 1 in 5 Ghanaian children under five had diarrhoea, adding that the rate was highest (33 per cent) among children aged 12 - 23 months, and advised mothers to give children who had diarrhoea more fluids, particularly oral rehydration salts (ORS) since the survey established that the majority of mothers (90 per cent) know about ORS packets.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that children receive nothing but breast milk (exclusive breastfeeding) for the first six months of life. Infants should not be given juices, other milks or complementary foods until six months of age, yet 17 per cent of Ghanaian infants under six months receive complementary foods.
To reduce the risk of malnutrition, the survey recommends that complementary foods should be introduced when a child is six months old, in addition to breastfeeding.
The Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices recommend that children aged between 6 and 8 months should be fed from three or more food groups at least twice a day in addition to breastfeeding, and for children aged between 9 to 23, at least three times a day.
The GDHS, which also included haemoglobin testing for women aged 15 to 49 and children 6-59 months, established that more than three-quarters of children (78 per cent) have some form of anaemia.
It said anaemia among children was higher in rural areas than in urban areas, and decreased as mother’s education and wealth increase, adding that almost 9 in 10 children in the Upper East and Upper West regions are anaemic.
The 2008 GDHS was designed to provide data for monitoring the population and health situation in the country and has brought to the fore information that can guide policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.
The objective of the survey was to provide up-to-date information on fertility, family planning, childhood mortality, nutrition, maternal and child health, domestic violence and related knowledge and behaviour on HIV and AIDS.
Monday, September 28, 2009
How Nkrumah empowered Ghanaian women
Article: Salome Donkor
THE role of women in politics and other public offices is one of the burning governance issues, largely because of the perceived and acknowledged potential and contribution of women to governance.
A recent study by Dr Beatrix Allah-Mensah of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Women in Politics and Public Life indicated that there was ample evidence to substantiate the indispensable role women played in the prelude to independence and immediately after it.
The study revealed that the role of women was evident in the support they gave to the main political party of the time, the Convention People’s Party (CPP), and it is also on record that women traders were keen supporters of the CPP government and also offered financial assistance and supportive services.
Soon after the formation of the CPP in 1949, for instance, some of them, notably Akua Asabea, stood shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts like Kofi Baako and Sacki Scheck as they toured the country and addressed large rallies to spread the message of ‘Independence Now’ for Ghana.
Hanna Cudjoe, for instance, did not only heroically rally the people behind the independent struggle, but also went a step ahead in establishing day care centres and day nurseries.
She worked extensively in the northern Ghana under the direction of Dr Nkrumah, who gave her the task of convincing women in certain parts of northern Ghana to discard some outmoded culture in the area .
During the early period of the struggle in May 1951, the CPP appointed Hanna Cudjoe, Ama Nkrumah, Letitia Quaye and Sophia Doku as propaganda secretaries with the responsibility of organising the CPP Women’s League.
Under the league, the women were divided into subsections at branch and ward levels. They organised rallies, dances and picnics as strategies to mobilise more people for early independence delayed by the colonialists for about a century.
Hanna Cudjoe was the Head of the Ghana Women’s League, and in 1960, the Women’s League and the Ghana Federation of Women, led by Evelyn Amarteifio, were merged to form the National Council of Ghana Women (NCGW) to replace the women’s section of the CPP.
The women’s movement was inaugurated by Dr Nkrumah on September 10, 1960 as the only organisation under which all Ghanaian women were to be organised to help achieve government post-independent political, social, economic and educational development of Ghana. The party leadership, therefore, institutionalised the initiative by making constitutional provisions for women’s league at the branch and ward levels as the main organising framework for women in the party. It was, therefore, not surprising that the party gave credit to women for the internal solidarity, cohesion and success of the CPP.
Mention could also be made of the role of Dr Mrs Letitia Obeng, an educationist, and other women who were nurses, broadcasters, judges and lawyers, who became part and parcel of the independence struggle.
Though not very visible like their male counterparts in the frontline, the female politicians, nonetheless, provided a vanguard force, rallying their families, communities, trade and various interest groups to join the struggle for national independence.
Allah-Mensah’s writing on ‘Women and politics in Ghana, 1993-2003’, cited in a book titled “One Decade of the Liberal State”, and edited by Kwame Boafo-Arthur (2007), states that the action was largely responsible for the development of the women’s wing of the party and also for the youth organisation. She records that women were efficient organisers who could bring thousands of people together for a rally at very short notice.
Indeed, it is noted that the NCGW and other groups were systematically and strategically co-opted into the CPP and given party membership cards as the only valid membership cards.
A paper written by Ms Joyce Rosalind Aryee, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, on the “Contributions of Women to Ghana’s Independence and Democratic Governance”, dated March 2007 and quoted in the study by Dr Allah-Mensah, pointed out that Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s political success was based on the foundation set for women by the CPP.
It said in 1949, many benevolent and mutual associations, credit unions and market women’s voluntary groups sprang up and became staunch supporters of Dr Nkrumah and the CPP in general. It said those associations, though were not at the forefront of the independence struggle, were involved in activities which were politically significant.
The contribution of women to the political struggle caught the eyes of the leadership of the CPP and by May 1951, the party had appointed four women, namely Letitia Quaye, Miss Sophia Doku, Hannah Cudjoe and Ama Nkrumah as propaganda secretaries charged with the duty of organising women.
In spite of the role of women in the political struggle, there was no woman in Cabinet when Ghana attained republican status, but the contribution of women to Ghanaian politics after independence, resulting in the introduction of the Representation of the People (Women Members) Bill in 1960. The bill was passed and it received the Governor-general’s assent on June 16, 1960.
Through that act, 10 women were elected unopposed as Members of Parliament (MPs) in June 1960. They were Susana Al-Hassan, Ayanori Bukari and Victoria Nyarko, all representing the Northern Region, Sophia Doku and Mary Koranteng, Eastern Region and Regina Asamany, Volta Region.
The rest were Grace Ayensu and Christiana Wilmot, Western Region, Comfort Asamoah, Ashanti Region, and Lucy Anim, Brong Ahafo. That made Ghana one of the first African countries to introduce a quota system for women.
In 1965, Dr Nkrumah appointed Madam Susan Al-Hassan as the Minister of Social Welfare and Community Development, while others were appointed as district commissioners.
Over the past five decades after Ghana’s independence, the representation of women in local and national level politics, as well as in other areas of decision-making indicate that there was still much more to be done to ensure an effective representation of women in politics and other equally important sectors.
THE role of women in politics and other public offices is one of the burning governance issues, largely because of the perceived and acknowledged potential and contribution of women to governance.
A recent study by Dr Beatrix Allah-Mensah of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Women in Politics and Public Life indicated that there was ample evidence to substantiate the indispensable role women played in the prelude to independence and immediately after it.
The study revealed that the role of women was evident in the support they gave to the main political party of the time, the Convention People’s Party (CPP), and it is also on record that women traders were keen supporters of the CPP government and also offered financial assistance and supportive services.
Soon after the formation of the CPP in 1949, for instance, some of them, notably Akua Asabea, stood shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts like Kofi Baako and Sacki Scheck as they toured the country and addressed large rallies to spread the message of ‘Independence Now’ for Ghana.
Hanna Cudjoe, for instance, did not only heroically rally the people behind the independent struggle, but also went a step ahead in establishing day care centres and day nurseries.
She worked extensively in the northern Ghana under the direction of Dr Nkrumah, who gave her the task of convincing women in certain parts of northern Ghana to discard some outmoded culture in the area .
During the early period of the struggle in May 1951, the CPP appointed Hanna Cudjoe, Ama Nkrumah, Letitia Quaye and Sophia Doku as propaganda secretaries with the responsibility of organising the CPP Women’s League.
Under the league, the women were divided into subsections at branch and ward levels. They organised rallies, dances and picnics as strategies to mobilise more people for early independence delayed by the colonialists for about a century.
Hanna Cudjoe was the Head of the Ghana Women’s League, and in 1960, the Women’s League and the Ghana Federation of Women, led by Evelyn Amarteifio, were merged to form the National Council of Ghana Women (NCGW) to replace the women’s section of the CPP.
The women’s movement was inaugurated by Dr Nkrumah on September 10, 1960 as the only organisation under which all Ghanaian women were to be organised to help achieve government post-independent political, social, economic and educational development of Ghana. The party leadership, therefore, institutionalised the initiative by making constitutional provisions for women’s league at the branch and ward levels as the main organising framework for women in the party. It was, therefore, not surprising that the party gave credit to women for the internal solidarity, cohesion and success of the CPP.
Mention could also be made of the role of Dr Mrs Letitia Obeng, an educationist, and other women who were nurses, broadcasters, judges and lawyers, who became part and parcel of the independence struggle.
Though not very visible like their male counterparts in the frontline, the female politicians, nonetheless, provided a vanguard force, rallying their families, communities, trade and various interest groups to join the struggle for national independence.
Allah-Mensah’s writing on ‘Women and politics in Ghana, 1993-2003’, cited in a book titled “One Decade of the Liberal State”, and edited by Kwame Boafo-Arthur (2007), states that the action was largely responsible for the development of the women’s wing of the party and also for the youth organisation. She records that women were efficient organisers who could bring thousands of people together for a rally at very short notice.
Indeed, it is noted that the NCGW and other groups were systematically and strategically co-opted into the CPP and given party membership cards as the only valid membership cards.
A paper written by Ms Joyce Rosalind Aryee, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, on the “Contributions of Women to Ghana’s Independence and Democratic Governance”, dated March 2007 and quoted in the study by Dr Allah-Mensah, pointed out that Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s political success was based on the foundation set for women by the CPP.
It said in 1949, many benevolent and mutual associations, credit unions and market women’s voluntary groups sprang up and became staunch supporters of Dr Nkrumah and the CPP in general. It said those associations, though were not at the forefront of the independence struggle, were involved in activities which were politically significant.
The contribution of women to the political struggle caught the eyes of the leadership of the CPP and by May 1951, the party had appointed four women, namely Letitia Quaye, Miss Sophia Doku, Hannah Cudjoe and Ama Nkrumah as propaganda secretaries charged with the duty of organising women.
In spite of the role of women in the political struggle, there was no woman in Cabinet when Ghana attained republican status, but the contribution of women to Ghanaian politics after independence, resulting in the introduction of the Representation of the People (Women Members) Bill in 1960. The bill was passed and it received the Governor-general’s assent on June 16, 1960.
Through that act, 10 women were elected unopposed as Members of Parliament (MPs) in June 1960. They were Susana Al-Hassan, Ayanori Bukari and Victoria Nyarko, all representing the Northern Region, Sophia Doku and Mary Koranteng, Eastern Region and Regina Asamany, Volta Region.
The rest were Grace Ayensu and Christiana Wilmot, Western Region, Comfort Asamoah, Ashanti Region, and Lucy Anim, Brong Ahafo. That made Ghana one of the first African countries to introduce a quota system for women.
In 1965, Dr Nkrumah appointed Madam Susan Al-Hassan as the Minister of Social Welfare and Community Development, while others were appointed as district commissioners.
Over the past five decades after Ghana’s independence, the representation of women in local and national level politics, as well as in other areas of decision-making indicate that there was still much more to be done to ensure an effective representation of women in politics and other equally important sectors.
Challenge to enforcement of domestic violence laws
Article: Salome Donkor
Countries that have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. By accepting the Convention, which was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, member states commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end all forms of discrimination against women.
These states are enjoined by the Convention to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women; establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organisations or enterprises.
They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
The Convention, often described as an international bill of rights for women consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination.
It defines discrimination against women as "...Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field."
Ghana ratified CEDAW in 1986, and currently, 185 countries, constituting over ninety per cent of the members of the United Nations are party to the Convention. The latest country to append its signature is San Marino, on September 26, 2003, while Cook Islands assented the treaty on August 11, 2006.
The United States of America (USA) is among eight countries yet to ratify CEDAW, alongside Sudan, Somalia, Qatar, Iran, Nauru, Palau and Tonga.
States that have ratified the Convention are obligated to create laws that protect women on an equal basis with men, and to modify or abolish existing laws or customs that discriminate against women.
CEDAW is the only human rights treaty which affirms the reproductive rights of women, and targets culture and tradition as influential forces shaping gender roles and family relations. It affirms women's rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality and the nationality of their children. State parties also agree to take appropriate measures against all forms of traffic in women and their exploitation.
The Convention provides the basis for realising equality between women and men by ensuring women's equal access to, and equal opportunities in political and public life, including the right to vote and to stand for election, as well as education, health and employment.
Agencies of the state agree to take all appropriate measures, including legislation and temporary special measures, so that women can enjoy all their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Despite the promising purposes of such statements, in reality the international convention that Ghana and other countries in the region have ratified have made little impact on a number of African countries.
According to Amnesty International, discrimination is the root cause of violence, and that impunity perpetuates violations and abuses. Violence against women is pervasive throughout the world. Approximately, one in three of the world’s women will experience violence at some point in their lives, with rates reaching 70 per cent in some countries.
Millions of women are abused each year, often in countries where they face discriminatory laws preventing them from seeking meaningful legal resource against such violence. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that globally, one woman in five will be a victim of rape or attempted rape during their lives. Within Africa, the estimate is one in three.
In Ghana, for example, bills that have clashed with cultural norms and religious beliefs have proven difficult to enforce. Individuals not widely in support of such laws may continue to deal with violence through traditional means, rather than turning to the protections of the law.
Numerous factors combine to limit women’s access to justice. Women’s lack of education about their legal rights may also inhibit some women from using laws once they are in place to protect them. For instance, a lack of access to formal education, limited legal literacy, and a lack of familiarity with the language of the courts may make court navigation difficult.
A research conducted by Action Aid Ghana, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and launched in 2007 to engender advocacy towards the implementation of the recommendations contained in the study on violence against women (VAW) in northern Ghana came up with certain revelations.
The study showed, among other things, that physical violence, denial of basic necessities, arbitrary dissolution of marriage, forced marriages and unnecessary reprimanding of women constituted acts of violence against women that were prevalent in northern Ghana.
The Network of Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), a coalition of organisations and individuals advocating gender equity, which made an assessment on issues of concern to women in Africa in 2008, established that discriminatory practices against women in the name of culture still prevailed in Africa with increasing efforts being made to address them.
A paper presented by Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, the NETRIGHT Convenor, during the organisation’s end-of-year event in Accra last year, indicated that an estimated three million girls a year are said to be at risk from the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and many of them are in Africa.
She indicated that within the Ghanaian context , stories published on women during the period featured a range of themes and more than half of all the stories were on women, politics and decision-making, with a specific focus on the 2008 elections.
According to Dr Mensah-Kutin, other stories could be located within the general themes of violence against women, women's health, beauty and entertainment, women and the economy, as well as discriminatory practices against women.
Ghana has incorporated the Convention’s provisions into the laws and practices of the country, resulting in the enactment of laws such as the Domestic Violence (DV) Act, 2000 (Act 732) Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694), and provisions in the 1992 Constitution to reduce violence against women and other human rights abuses by reversing discrimination and providing equal protection before the law.
However, the reality of the situation is that significant challenges affect the enforcement of domestic violence laws. Reports from the police indicate that it is often difficult to collect medical evidence to support domestic violence cases in the country, since there are a few medical facilities in rural areas where many women live, and even urban facilities may have inadequate resources to collect medical evidence. Many victims may also be unable to afford expensive medical tests, even if they are available.
At its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Accra recently, the Society of Ghana Women Medical and Dental Practitioners (SGWMDP) urged the government, as a State Party to CEDAW, to ensure the full implementation of all the Provisions and General Recommendations of the Convention.
The association congratulated Ghanaian women, women of the world and the United Nations for the entering into force 30 years ago of CEDAW, and pledged its full support to the realisation of the aims and principles of the CEDAW.
By ratifying the Convention, Ghana has the obligation to protect certain groups and provide the special care and assistance required for the physical and mental well-being of women and children, among others.
Women rights advocates have recommended that the government should provide skills training and free medical care for women who are victims of violence, as well as provide logistics to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the police to strengthen their work.
They also suggest that non-governmental and civil society organisations should institute legal aid schemes to support victims of violence and also strengthen women’s pressure groups to fight for the rights of women.
Advocates must continue to engage in targeted outreach and education in order to ensure that communities understand and support the protections that domestic violence laws can provide so that victims can choose to make use of such laws.
Countries that have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. By accepting the Convention, which was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, member states commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end all forms of discrimination against women.
These states are enjoined by the Convention to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women; establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organisations or enterprises.
They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
The Convention, often described as an international bill of rights for women consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination.
It defines discrimination against women as "...Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field."
Ghana ratified CEDAW in 1986, and currently, 185 countries, constituting over ninety per cent of the members of the United Nations are party to the Convention. The latest country to append its signature is San Marino, on September 26, 2003, while Cook Islands assented the treaty on August 11, 2006.
The United States of America (USA) is among eight countries yet to ratify CEDAW, alongside Sudan, Somalia, Qatar, Iran, Nauru, Palau and Tonga.
States that have ratified the Convention are obligated to create laws that protect women on an equal basis with men, and to modify or abolish existing laws or customs that discriminate against women.
CEDAW is the only human rights treaty which affirms the reproductive rights of women, and targets culture and tradition as influential forces shaping gender roles and family relations. It affirms women's rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality and the nationality of their children. State parties also agree to take appropriate measures against all forms of traffic in women and their exploitation.
The Convention provides the basis for realising equality between women and men by ensuring women's equal access to, and equal opportunities in political and public life, including the right to vote and to stand for election, as well as education, health and employment.
Agencies of the state agree to take all appropriate measures, including legislation and temporary special measures, so that women can enjoy all their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Despite the promising purposes of such statements, in reality the international convention that Ghana and other countries in the region have ratified have made little impact on a number of African countries.
According to Amnesty International, discrimination is the root cause of violence, and that impunity perpetuates violations and abuses. Violence against women is pervasive throughout the world. Approximately, one in three of the world’s women will experience violence at some point in their lives, with rates reaching 70 per cent in some countries.
Millions of women are abused each year, often in countries where they face discriminatory laws preventing them from seeking meaningful legal resource against such violence. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that globally, one woman in five will be a victim of rape or attempted rape during their lives. Within Africa, the estimate is one in three.
In Ghana, for example, bills that have clashed with cultural norms and religious beliefs have proven difficult to enforce. Individuals not widely in support of such laws may continue to deal with violence through traditional means, rather than turning to the protections of the law.
Numerous factors combine to limit women’s access to justice. Women’s lack of education about their legal rights may also inhibit some women from using laws once they are in place to protect them. For instance, a lack of access to formal education, limited legal literacy, and a lack of familiarity with the language of the courts may make court navigation difficult.
A research conducted by Action Aid Ghana, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and launched in 2007 to engender advocacy towards the implementation of the recommendations contained in the study on violence against women (VAW) in northern Ghana came up with certain revelations.
The study showed, among other things, that physical violence, denial of basic necessities, arbitrary dissolution of marriage, forced marriages and unnecessary reprimanding of women constituted acts of violence against women that were prevalent in northern Ghana.
The Network of Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), a coalition of organisations and individuals advocating gender equity, which made an assessment on issues of concern to women in Africa in 2008, established that discriminatory practices against women in the name of culture still prevailed in Africa with increasing efforts being made to address them.
A paper presented by Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, the NETRIGHT Convenor, during the organisation’s end-of-year event in Accra last year, indicated that an estimated three million girls a year are said to be at risk from the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and many of them are in Africa.
She indicated that within the Ghanaian context , stories published on women during the period featured a range of themes and more than half of all the stories were on women, politics and decision-making, with a specific focus on the 2008 elections.
According to Dr Mensah-Kutin, other stories could be located within the general themes of violence against women, women's health, beauty and entertainment, women and the economy, as well as discriminatory practices against women.
Ghana has incorporated the Convention’s provisions into the laws and practices of the country, resulting in the enactment of laws such as the Domestic Violence (DV) Act, 2000 (Act 732) Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694), and provisions in the 1992 Constitution to reduce violence against women and other human rights abuses by reversing discrimination and providing equal protection before the law.
However, the reality of the situation is that significant challenges affect the enforcement of domestic violence laws. Reports from the police indicate that it is often difficult to collect medical evidence to support domestic violence cases in the country, since there are a few medical facilities in rural areas where many women live, and even urban facilities may have inadequate resources to collect medical evidence. Many victims may also be unable to afford expensive medical tests, even if they are available.
At its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Accra recently, the Society of Ghana Women Medical and Dental Practitioners (SGWMDP) urged the government, as a State Party to CEDAW, to ensure the full implementation of all the Provisions and General Recommendations of the Convention.
The association congratulated Ghanaian women, women of the world and the United Nations for the entering into force 30 years ago of CEDAW, and pledged its full support to the realisation of the aims and principles of the CEDAW.
By ratifying the Convention, Ghana has the obligation to protect certain groups and provide the special care and assistance required for the physical and mental well-being of women and children, among others.
Women rights advocates have recommended that the government should provide skills training and free medical care for women who are victims of violence, as well as provide logistics to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the police to strengthen their work.
They also suggest that non-governmental and civil society organisations should institute legal aid schemes to support victims of violence and also strengthen women’s pressure groups to fight for the rights of women.
Advocates must continue to engage in targeted outreach and education in order to ensure that communities understand and support the protections that domestic violence laws can provide so that victims can choose to make use of such laws.
Business Women’s Summit opens in October
Article: Salome Donkor
THE United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), in its 2008 report on Progress of the World’s Women, says that gender bias has meant that “women have been more concentrated than men in informal, subsistence and ‘vulnerable’ employment”. According to the report, ‘vulnerable’ employment referred to self-employment and jobs without salaries in family-owned businesses.
Global reports indicate that women constitute more than half of the world’s population. However, the fact remains that advances have been limited in the economic realm and for poor women in particular, as a result of disadvantanges that are often entrenched in social institutions, economic policies and development strategies that have not adequately recognised the important role of women in economic development and poverty reduction, and as important agents of change.
According to the International labour Organisation (ILO) fewer than 1 in 5 working women in sub-Saharan Africa received regular wages or salaries, compared to a third of employed African men and almost 93 per cent of women in the developed countries.
Looking ahead to 2015 and beyond, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon observes that although it is possible to achieve the overarching goal of ending poverty by 2015, “it requires an unswerving, collective, long-term effort."
In this respect, greater global co-operation is required to resolve the current challenges confronting women, to enable them play their respective roles towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that relate to providing basic human rights to each person on the planet to, namely health, education, shelter, and security.
Concerned with how women, particularly Ghanaian women, can contribute to redesigning global systems and practises in the quest to create a better world, the Eagle Women Empowerment Club (EWEC), in collaboration with the African Business Women’s Network, is organising an international business women’s summit from October 21 - 22 at the National Theatre, in Accra.
The summit is being facilitated by Vital Voices, Exxon Mobil and Fortune 500 Companies, “Synchronising Global Business – A new orientation for the African woman”. Advocacy will also be around high interest rates in many African countries- a major threat to SMEs.
Participants include leading Fortune 500 women, representation from the World Economic Forum, government representatives, business women and women leaders in organisations from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Liberia, and other African countries.
Launched in 2008 as a networking platform for women, EWEC is the local chapter of the Africa Businesswomen’s Network (ABWN), an association of businesswomen’s organisation throughout Africa. ABWN is powered by Vital Voices, Exxon Mobil and supported by Fortune 500.
The goal of the club is to build a network of businesswomen’s organisation in Africa in order to expand the number of women suceeding as entrepreneurs and leaders in the corporate world; to raise the profile and credibility of women in business; to foster global networking opportunities among businesswomen; and to advocate policies that expand economic opportunities for women.
The President of EWEC, Ms Juliet Asante said the number of women performing roles as bread winners continued to increase every year, adding that research shows that women-led companies survived better than alternatives.
She said the back bone of every economy is its SMEs, and especially, in Africa, the majority of SMEs were owned or run by women and as a result, woman obviously had the main responsibility of the home.
She pointed out that it was obvious that any developing country that was serious about closing the poverty gap, cannot continue to ignore the real threat of disempowering such a powerful part of its society and economy, stressing that it is a fact that the world cannot continue to ignore the importance of including women in the decision-making process at all levels.
She said the summit would explore the unique contributions that women could make towards achieving a better world culture. The focus will be the awakening of the woman to see the current world situation as an opportunity to fine-tune and emerge from the world crisis as better business people, through best practices and advocacy aimed at ensuring a better future for all peoples.
She said during the summit, participants will dialogue with Fortune 500 women, through panel discussions and Workshops.
Another important part of the summit will also be a discussion on the Global Re-design Project put forward by the World Economic Forum, and how women can add their voices to the ongoing dialogue.
Some key presentations will be on: branding/ visionary leadership/ the questions of succession/ women transcending cultural limitations/ entering new markets/ corporate social responsibility, etc. all of which is aimed at better positioning the Woman leader to fearlessly improve her environment for the betterment of society.
THE United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), in its 2008 report on Progress of the World’s Women, says that gender bias has meant that “women have been more concentrated than men in informal, subsistence and ‘vulnerable’ employment”. According to the report, ‘vulnerable’ employment referred to self-employment and jobs without salaries in family-owned businesses.
Global reports indicate that women constitute more than half of the world’s population. However, the fact remains that advances have been limited in the economic realm and for poor women in particular, as a result of disadvantanges that are often entrenched in social institutions, economic policies and development strategies that have not adequately recognised the important role of women in economic development and poverty reduction, and as important agents of change.
According to the International labour Organisation (ILO) fewer than 1 in 5 working women in sub-Saharan Africa received regular wages or salaries, compared to a third of employed African men and almost 93 per cent of women in the developed countries.
Looking ahead to 2015 and beyond, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon observes that although it is possible to achieve the overarching goal of ending poverty by 2015, “it requires an unswerving, collective, long-term effort."
In this respect, greater global co-operation is required to resolve the current challenges confronting women, to enable them play their respective roles towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that relate to providing basic human rights to each person on the planet to, namely health, education, shelter, and security.
Concerned with how women, particularly Ghanaian women, can contribute to redesigning global systems and practises in the quest to create a better world, the Eagle Women Empowerment Club (EWEC), in collaboration with the African Business Women’s Network, is organising an international business women’s summit from October 21 - 22 at the National Theatre, in Accra.
The summit is being facilitated by Vital Voices, Exxon Mobil and Fortune 500 Companies, “Synchronising Global Business – A new orientation for the African woman”. Advocacy will also be around high interest rates in many African countries- a major threat to SMEs.
Participants include leading Fortune 500 women, representation from the World Economic Forum, government representatives, business women and women leaders in organisations from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Liberia, and other African countries.
Launched in 2008 as a networking platform for women, EWEC is the local chapter of the Africa Businesswomen’s Network (ABWN), an association of businesswomen’s organisation throughout Africa. ABWN is powered by Vital Voices, Exxon Mobil and supported by Fortune 500.
The goal of the club is to build a network of businesswomen’s organisation in Africa in order to expand the number of women suceeding as entrepreneurs and leaders in the corporate world; to raise the profile and credibility of women in business; to foster global networking opportunities among businesswomen; and to advocate policies that expand economic opportunities for women.
The President of EWEC, Ms Juliet Asante said the number of women performing roles as bread winners continued to increase every year, adding that research shows that women-led companies survived better than alternatives.
She said the back bone of every economy is its SMEs, and especially, in Africa, the majority of SMEs were owned or run by women and as a result, woman obviously had the main responsibility of the home.
She pointed out that it was obvious that any developing country that was serious about closing the poverty gap, cannot continue to ignore the real threat of disempowering such a powerful part of its society and economy, stressing that it is a fact that the world cannot continue to ignore the importance of including women in the decision-making process at all levels.
She said the summit would explore the unique contributions that women could make towards achieving a better world culture. The focus will be the awakening of the woman to see the current world situation as an opportunity to fine-tune and emerge from the world crisis as better business people, through best practices and advocacy aimed at ensuring a better future for all peoples.
She said during the summit, participants will dialogue with Fortune 500 women, through panel discussions and Workshops.
Another important part of the summit will also be a discussion on the Global Re-design Project put forward by the World Economic Forum, and how women can add their voices to the ongoing dialogue.
Some key presentations will be on: branding/ visionary leadership/ the questions of succession/ women transcending cultural limitations/ entering new markets/ corporate social responsibility, etc. all of which is aimed at better positioning the Woman leader to fearlessly improve her environment for the betterment of society.
Negative aspects of widowhood rites
Story: Salome Donkor
Widowhood practices vary among various ethnic groups in the country, some impacting negatively on widows and orphans. Among some ethnic groups, widows are forced to strip naked in public and undergo other unpleasant exercises that abuse their right to dignity.
In a report on violence against women in Ghana, the United Nations (UN) Division for the Advancement of Women indicated that widowhood rites included confining the widow to a room, shaving her head, having her wear a rope around her neck and making her go through a ritual bath.
The Widows and Orphans Ministry (WOM), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded in 1993 and based in Bolgatanga, whose mission is to fight for the interest of widows and orphans conducted research on inheritance in the Upper East Region and found that widowhood rites are considered dehumanising by many widows.
The organisation identified the following widowhood rites that include stripping a widow naked and having her wear only shea tree leaves; having the widow bathe naked in public; forcing the widow to marry a man from her late husband's family; having the widow feed the ritualist during and after the funeral; and isolating the widow and exposing her to black ants.
Compelling women to observe some of these cultural rites like compelling the widow to marry a man from her late husband's family, seem to increase their susceptibility to HIV transmission and endanger their lives.
Reports from the Upper West Region indicate that this practice nicknamed “Bye Election”, is prevalent in the area.
When reached on phone by this reporter to find more about the customary rite, the Upper West Regional Director of the Department of Women of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Mrs Catherine Bob-Milliar, said widowhood inheritance that involved the remarriage of a widow to an elder brother of her late husband, was prevalent in parts of the region.
Explaining how the system operates, she said when a man died, the widow had to go through the traditional rite or pay the dowry, which sometimes involved four cows, to the relatives of her deceased husband and move out of her late husband’s compound, adding that the relatives of the deceased tended to be very unsympathetic to a widow who has no child with her late husband and refuses to perform the rite.
She said although the practice had some significance some years back, since it was seen as providing the widow and her children with some form of social security, it now needed a second look, considering the risk involved in the possible spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS.
Touching on other negative aspects of the practice, she said it sometimes resulted in domestic feud, considering the fact that the senior wife of the man, who is re-marrying a new wife, gets peeved.
According to Mrs Bob-Milliar, her department registered 7,000 widows, comprising young ones, as of 2002, and pointed out that the surprising thing is that these days most young girls who are widows, are not interested in the widowhood inheritance.
She said since the dowry was very high, particularly in Lawra, coupled with the high illiteracy rate among women, compared to men, women who found themselves in that condition had no option but to go through the practice.
She, however said, a few enlightened ones, who were economically empowered, preferred to refund the dowry to the family of the deceased to remarrying an elder brother of her deceased husband.
She said the Department of Women had intensified sensitisation programmes through dialogue with chiefs, opinion leaders and women leaders to enlighten them on the need to revise the customary rite in order to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and safeguard the health of the people.
When asked whether the affected women were not aware of PNDC Law 111 that protected a widow or widower, whose spouse died Intestate, Mrs Bob-Milliar said because of the payment of high dowry by husbands, women were seen as the ‘property’ of their husbands, adding that although widowhood rites were prohibited under Ghana's penal code many widows were not aware of this legislation.
Widowhood practices vary among various ethnic groups in the country, some impacting negatively on widows and orphans. Among some ethnic groups, widows are forced to strip naked in public and undergo other unpleasant exercises that abuse their right to dignity.
In a report on violence against women in Ghana, the United Nations (UN) Division for the Advancement of Women indicated that widowhood rites included confining the widow to a room, shaving her head, having her wear a rope around her neck and making her go through a ritual bath.
The Widows and Orphans Ministry (WOM), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded in 1993 and based in Bolgatanga, whose mission is to fight for the interest of widows and orphans conducted research on inheritance in the Upper East Region and found that widowhood rites are considered dehumanising by many widows.
The organisation identified the following widowhood rites that include stripping a widow naked and having her wear only shea tree leaves; having the widow bathe naked in public; forcing the widow to marry a man from her late husband's family; having the widow feed the ritualist during and after the funeral; and isolating the widow and exposing her to black ants.
Compelling women to observe some of these cultural rites like compelling the widow to marry a man from her late husband's family, seem to increase their susceptibility to HIV transmission and endanger their lives.
Reports from the Upper West Region indicate that this practice nicknamed “Bye Election”, is prevalent in the area.
When reached on phone by this reporter to find more about the customary rite, the Upper West Regional Director of the Department of Women of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Mrs Catherine Bob-Milliar, said widowhood inheritance that involved the remarriage of a widow to an elder brother of her late husband, was prevalent in parts of the region.
Explaining how the system operates, she said when a man died, the widow had to go through the traditional rite or pay the dowry, which sometimes involved four cows, to the relatives of her deceased husband and move out of her late husband’s compound, adding that the relatives of the deceased tended to be very unsympathetic to a widow who has no child with her late husband and refuses to perform the rite.
She said although the practice had some significance some years back, since it was seen as providing the widow and her children with some form of social security, it now needed a second look, considering the risk involved in the possible spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS.
Touching on other negative aspects of the practice, she said it sometimes resulted in domestic feud, considering the fact that the senior wife of the man, who is re-marrying a new wife, gets peeved.
According to Mrs Bob-Milliar, her department registered 7,000 widows, comprising young ones, as of 2002, and pointed out that the surprising thing is that these days most young girls who are widows, are not interested in the widowhood inheritance.
She said since the dowry was very high, particularly in Lawra, coupled with the high illiteracy rate among women, compared to men, women who found themselves in that condition had no option but to go through the practice.
She, however said, a few enlightened ones, who were economically empowered, preferred to refund the dowry to the family of the deceased to remarrying an elder brother of her deceased husband.
She said the Department of Women had intensified sensitisation programmes through dialogue with chiefs, opinion leaders and women leaders to enlighten them on the need to revise the customary rite in order to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and safeguard the health of the people.
When asked whether the affected women were not aware of PNDC Law 111 that protected a widow or widower, whose spouse died Intestate, Mrs Bob-Milliar said because of the payment of high dowry by husbands, women were seen as the ‘property’ of their husbands, adding that although widowhood rites were prohibited under Ghana's penal code many widows were not aware of this legislation.
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