Madam Adwoa Pokuaa, a traditional birth attendant at Donkorkrom in the Asutifi District on Thursday appealed to government to intervene for the abolition of a negative cultural practice that prohibits women from giving birth in the community.
“If a woman mistakenly gives birth at home, she as well as the birth attendant will have to sacrifice a goat and because many women cannot afford this they try by all means, including trekking, to Hwidiem to give birth”, Madam Pokuaa added.
She made the appeal at a durbar jointly organised by Action Aid Ghana and the Center for Maternal Health and Community Development (CMC), a non-governmental organization, to mark this year’s International Women’s Day at Gambia no 1 in the district.
The durbar, attended by chiefs, queen mothers and women’s groups, was aimed at examining some of the socio–cultural issues that negatively affected women and girls in the area.
Madam Pokuaa said the situation was so pathetic that women in labour either had to be carried on someone's back or on bicycles to as far as Hwidiem clinic to give birth.
A lot of women lose their lives or their new born babies as a result, she said, adding some of the women who could not stand the painful journey to Hwidiem were taken into the bush in the night to give birth.
In a communiqué issued and initialed by five leading women in the area and copied to the District Chief Executive, the chief of Kenyasi No 2, the traditional council at Kenyasi No 1, chief of Donkorkrom and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the women in the community complained they had suffered enough pain due to the cultural practice.
“These harmful practices are against international legal instruments on human rights, which reinforce individual rights and also protect and prohibit discrimination against specific groups, particularly women.
“For instance, Chapter Five, section 26, sub-section two of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana states that “all customary practices which dehumanize or are injurious to the physical and mental well-being of a person are prohibited”, the women said.
Mr John Abaa, programme officer, Women’s Rights of Action Aid, called on policy makers to see to the need in planning economic opportunities for women to bring about rapid change in the lives of rural women.
He called on all to fight for the rights of women to end violence and discrimination against women, adding women when empowered would reduce poverty, hunger and advance sustainable development and democracy.
He said Action Aid would strengthen the capacity of rural and urban communities to defend the rights of women and girls so they could be freed from gender based violence, harmful traditional practices and increase their knowledge and power to bring a rapid change in their living conditions.
Mr Mohammed Salaam of CMC expressed worry about the increasing number of teenage pregnancies in the district and called on parents to encourage and support their female children with all their basic educational needs.
He asked parents to report cases of defilement and teenage pregnancy involving their daughters aged below 16 to the police and not to try to settle the matter at home.
Nana Abena Brago, queen mother of Gambia No 2, entreated women to concentrate on their children’s education, especially the girl child, so they could occupy responsible positions in society.
