Gov’t blamed over issues concerning women, children

Mr Dennis Owusu-Appiah Ofosuapea, a legal practitioner, says government should be blamed for the various inhumane issues confronting women and children’s right.

He said in as much as there are laid down rights to be enjoyed by women and children, government “is sitting on those rights”.

“Instead, laws have been put in place depriving our mothers and children from enjoying their fundamental human rights with government sitting on the restructured rights,” he said.

Mr Ofosuappea made the remark on Friday at a community engagement seminar that sought to promote the right of women, youth, vulnerable groups and differently-abled persons in the country.

The day’s seminar organised by the Young heart Foundation(YHF) in partnership with Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) is among one of the many awareness creation programmes spearheading a conversation that would help people to know about the various inhumane abuses churned out to women and children.

Mr Ofosuappea noted that after 22 years, spousal rights laws to protect women when their husbands die has not been enforced by government.

“Government has failed women of this country,” he said.

He also observed that children’s right, that is the basic education right from which government said all children ought to be in school by 2005 had not been achieved, saying: “In 2006, 513,000 children were out of school.”

He therefore called on women to fight for their rights as well as the citizenry to make the government accountable as the state is the greatest institution to see to the welfare of women and children and not individuals.

“We need to watch the state carefully in promoting, enforcing as well as protecting women and children,” he said.

Mr Norman Amidu, Executive Director, YHF, told the Ghana News Agency that among the many aims of the seminar, the primary one is to put ideas together to make situations confronting women and children better.

He said YHF and OSIWA also want to create awareness on issues of gender rights as abuse on women and children are rampant.

“This seminar is being organised to ask question of capacity building in fighting the inhumane canker worrying women and children in the country, hence our engagement with the community.”

“Today we are producing a paper to begin talks that will get the government, NGOs, CSOs and all citizenry on board for us to be awake and aware to push change as people are the ones who bring change,” he said.

Mr Amidu hailed the tremendous works of YHF and OSIWA and advised them not to end till a change, when their target is met.

YHF is a non-profit making social foundation, established with intention of supporting orphans, widows, girl child education, people living with HIV and AIDS and the less privileged in society.