Denying wives of “chop-money” can land husbands in trouble

The Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) has warned husbands who deny their housewife house-keeping money that they are liable for prosecution for inflicting economic violence on them.

Madam Christiana Ankamah, Acting Executive Secretary of the Domestic Violence Secretariat of MOWAC has said.

Madam Ankamah, who premised her argument on Domestic Violence Act of 2007, Article 732, said any act that deprived others of a household of their basic necessities of life constituted a human rights abuse and the perpetrator could be punished by the courts.

Madam Ankamah said this at the closing of a two-day workshop organised by MOWAC in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Tamale on Thursday.

The workshop educated and sensitised the public on the issues of sexual and gender-based violence and the detection of early warning signals that might lead to conflicts.

The event, which was attended by women, community leaders, traditional authorities, and youth wings of political parties, was also to build a culture of peace and non-violence especially among the youth to prevent the likelihood of future acts of sexual and gender-based violence.

There were presentations by Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, on issues that constituted domestic and gender-based violence, and the early warning signals.

The Tamale workshop was the first of a series of similar workshops by MOWAC in six other regions including Brong Ahafo, Greater Accra, and Ashanti to ensure that issues regarding sexual and gender-based violence were reported to the appropriate authorities.

Madam Ankamah said domestic and gender-based violence permeated societies.

“These are issues that are pertinent and critical for the prevention and avoidance of the occurrence of conflict as well as gender-based violence during the election period.”

She therefore called on all to honour their obligations to their spouses to ensure enjoyment of their basic rights for a peaceful living.

Mrs Vivian Bruce Tetteh, who represented the UNDP, said majority of women were often victims of insecurity, sexual harassment, domestic violence and human trafficking the world over.

She said the situation needed changed.**