TUC man asks Ghanaians to work against violence

Old Ntronang (ER), Dec. 30, GNA - The General Secretary of the General Agriculture Workers' Union of Ghana (GAWU), Mr Samuel Kangah, had said, it was time Ghanaians collectively resolve to root-out all forms of systematic violence against women and other vulnerable people. He said, since the basis of such aggressive acts, were unacceptable in any modern society.

Mr Kangah said Ghanaians must help create a more equitable society, devoid of discrimination and work to ensure the attainment of the basic human rights for all.

Speaking at the launch of 'Nyinkyim Anti-Violence Project' at Old Ntronang in the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region on Wednesday, Mr Kangah also called for stiffer punishment for those, who attack women, because violence was an affront to human dignity and should never be tolerated.

The Nkyinkyim project is an integrated platform being implemented by the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre of Ghana in conjunction with GAWU and is aimed at helping to raise the public awareness about the issue of violence against women and children. The project since 1997 had been successful in creating the Community-Based Anti-Violence Team (COMBAT) in some farming communities that facilitate a rural-based response in combating aggression against children and women.

Aside its physical impairments to victims, aggressive acts, Mr Kangah pointed out, also have "damaging effect on business, health and work performance" for which reasons, the phenomena should be halted and reversed.

A Member of the General Legal Council and Executive Director of the Gender Centre, Mrs. Dorcas Coker Appiah, was dissatisfied that society still give room for the abuse of children and women and urged Ghanaians to rid themselves of the subservient role often ascribed to women.

Mrs. Appiah also appealed to husbands not to see their wives as 'beasts of burden' but as human beings, whose dignity ought to be respected and revered.

The Kwaebibirem District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Yaw Yiadom Boakye, who swore in a new COMBAT group for the Atobriso, Akenkase and Old Ntronang communities asked them to build on the successes attained during the Akawani.

Mr Yiadom Boakye appealed to the Gender Centre to extend its services to other communities in the district, since the project had facilitated the process of peace building that was necessary for development.