‘Continuous abuse of women worrying’

Ms Lena Alai, the Volta Regional Director, Department of Gender, has decried the continuous abuse of the rights of women and children in the region, despite relentless anti-campaigns.

She said such violent cultural norms as widowhood rites, trokosi and puberty rites were obnoxious, disgraceful and dehumanizing and should be stopped.

Ms Alai was addressing the International Day against Domestic violence at Tefle in the South Tongu District.

She hailed the Domestic Violence Act of 2007 as a landmark promotion of human rights in Ghana, but expressed worry that communities still remained less concerned about such infringements.

Ms Alai said human trafficking, illiteracy, rape, and marital violence, compounded the debacle against women and children and impeding general societal development.

Ms Alai urged families to support widows and care for orphans instead of forcing dehumanizing cultural practices on them.

Mrs. Helen Akorsah-Sarpong, District Director, Ghana Health Services, said these harmful practices sometimes led to mental derailment in victims, other chronic ailments and even death.

She said such violations were of great concern to health practitioners and appealed to traditional rulers to help modernize or remove such norms.

Mrs. Akorsah-Sarpong advised parents to accept cultural practices that would lead children’s future progress and to avoid those that forced them into early marriages and domestic servitude.

Mr. Raphael Soglo, District Director, Commission of Human Right and Administration Justice- CHRAJ, appealed to victims of abuse to seek redress at the CHRAJ, police, the court and Department of Social Welfare.

Togbe Nakakpo Dugbaza, the Paramount Chief of Tefle, blamed non-enforcement of laws on such practices as a factor for their continuing entrenchment.