FIDA inaugurates paralegal association in Kwabre

Mamponteng (Ash), March 1, GNA - A 26-member paralegal association has been inaugurated at Mamponteng in the Kwabre District, with a call on the members to promote and safeguard the rights and freedoms of women and children.

Ms Eudora Oppong, Ashanti Regional Administrator of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), who made the call, said women and children were the most vulnerable in society and needed to be protected.

"They are often cut off from decision-making as a result of discriminatory practices in customary law, marriage, divorce and inheritance," she said. Miss Oppong blamed this on inadequate regional and district law courts, the slow process of adjudication of cases in the courts and the low socio-economic status of women, which tend to limit their ability to afford legal services.

FIDA has drawn up elaborate programmes including the provision of legal services to women and children, and the formation of paralegal associations in the local communities to address the problem. Ms Oppong said the Association had succeeded in securing the rights of many women and children through mediation and arbitration. She called for a reform of the cultural and traditional practices that infringed on women's rights thus restraining them from accessing justice. Alhaji Adams Iddisah, District Chief Executive, cautioned the public against the practice where cases of rape, defilement and other serious criminal acts were resolved in homes.

This is illegal and must stop, he said, adding that all such criminal cases should be reported to the law enforcement agencies. Nana Asuming Baffour Gyekye, Presiding Member of the District Assembly, advised members of the Association to collaborate with the unit committees to achieve their objectives. The members had earlier attended a four-day workshop on marriage laws, women and children's rights and domestic violence. The event was organized by FIDA and sponsored by Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), a non-governmental organization based in Dakar, Senegal under the theme, "Improving Women's Access to Justice."