Gender
Stop abusing adolescents — PPAG Boss
Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), Madam Abena Adubea Amoah, has raised concerns about the troubling revelations of the rise of abuses that were meted out to adolescents and women during the COVID-19 pandemic in some parts of Africa.
Ms Abena Adubea Amoah made these complaints while delivering a speech at the PPAG, UNFPA support pre-implementation meeting held at Koforidua last week.
According to her, many homes have become places of abuse instead of safety for some adolescents when they were encouraged to stay home in order to contain the deadly pandemic.
She said the abuses ranged from battery and the infliction of unimaginable pain to children, adolescents and women among other gender-based violence.
The Executive Director indicated that, some women suffered sexual exploitation and dehumanisation at various degrees that the public never thought could happen.
“For these past few months that young people have been made to stay home as a precautionary measure to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana, we have witnessed high levels of lack of parenting skills, supervision and guidance,” she stressed.
According to her, over the past years, parenting and supervision of children have largely been left in the hands of teachers, even though it was not their primary responsibilities.
Ms Abena Adubea said parents have provided their children with mobile phones, and these children also watch television with multi-viewer option programmes which were harmful, but the parents do not supervise them.
She said this exposes children to the consumption of illicit materials and contents including pornography, sexting and experimentation of multi-sexual partner acts.
According to her, teenage pregnancy rates seem to be soaring in Ghana and the addition of COVID-19, coupled with absentee parents could result in pregnancy that would curtail the education of many adolescent girls.
“We have to think, create, innovate and champion activities and programmes that would respond to current realities, challenges and state of the people we serve, she said.
Ms Abena Amoah reiterated that, if some agencies including the PPAG failed to work, the Ghanaian society would experience the horror of an unplanned and unprepared population, and the consequences could be catastrophic.
She advised the public to strictly adhere to the protective guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ghana Health Service (GHS) and PPAG, as Ghana was propping herself to function within the new normal life with COVID-19.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, a Deputy Chief of Staff, has called for sustained legal and institutional reforms to address gender biases within Ghana’s justice system.
She urged women lawyers to build on the legacy of trailblazers who have shaped the country’s legal landscape.
Madam Bampoe Addo made the call at the maiden Biennial Conference of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) Women’s Forum, organised in collaboration with the Ghana School of Law in Accra on Tuesday.
The event was on the theme: “The role of women lawyers in national development: honouring trailblazers.”
Madam Bampoe Addo said the progress made by women in the legal profession was not accidental but the result of years of struggle, sacrifice and determination.
She paid tribute to early trailblazers such as Matilda Foster and Annie Jiagge, saying their achievements broke barriers and opened doors for generations of women lawyers.
She commended the contributions of female judicial leaders, including Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, Mrs Sophia Akuffo, and Mrs Gertrude Torkornoo, whose leadership reflected the growing influence of women in Ghana’s judiciary.
Women lawyers had made significant contributions across multiple sectors, including the courtroom, academia, policy development, civil society advocacy and community engagement.
Madam Bampoe Addo noted that their efforts had advanced gender equality, strengthened institutions and improved access to justice in the country.
She expressed concern about the persistent gender biases within the justice system, particularly in some judicial pronouncements that could undermine the dignity of women.
The courts, she noted, must not only deliver justice but must also communicate it in a manner that upheld respect and fairness for all parties.
“There is undervaluation of women’s unpaid domestic labour, including caregiving responsibilities, which are often overlooked in legal determinations, especially in matrimonial cases,” she added.
She called for a more progressive and context-sensitive approach to adjudication, drawing on comparative jurisprudence from other jurisdictions to ensure fairness and equity.
Madam Bampoe Addo urged legal practitioners and judges to build on progressive legal precedents and ensure that Ghana’s legal system evolved to reflect contemporary social realities.
She emphasised the importance of mentorship and inclusivity, encouraging women in leadership to create opportunities for others and support the next generation of female lawyers.
She called on young women to pursue legal careers with confidence, adding that the profession offered vast opportunities to contribute to national development.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Donkor, the Director-General of CID, said women lawyers played indispensable roles in shaping Ghana’s legal and governance systems.
They had excelled in various fields and occupied key leadership positions, contributing to policy reforms and championing justice for vulnerable groups, she added.
COP Donkor paid tribute to trailblazing women lawyers whose achievements continued to inspire and motivate younger generations to strive for excellence.
She urged students and young practitioners to go beyond academic successes and embrace the broader mission of promoting justice, fairness and societal transformation.
She encouraged more women lawyers to consider careers in the Ghana Police Service, describing law enforcement as a critical area where legal expertise was needed to strengthen justice delivery.
She commended the organisers of the conference for the success, saying it would encourage the next generation of women lawyers to continue to make significant contributions to Ghana’s development. – GNA
The Dzidula Pink Foundation has engaged expectant mothers on cervical cancer at a recent pregnancy clinic held at St Gregory Hospital, Budumburam in the Awutu Senya East District.
The engagement formed part of its advocacy on early cancer detection to safeguard maternal health.
It also formed part of the foundation’s broader mission to raise awareness about cancers affecting women, particularly at a time when many may be least likely to consider screening especially pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Addressing a gathering of pregnant women at the clinic, the president of the foundation, Ms Fafa Gozo, highlighted a worrying trend where a significant number of women are diagnosed with cancer around the time of delivery.
This, she noted, often results from delayed screening and limited awareness about the importance of early detection.
She educated the women about the need to prioritise their health by undertaking timely cancer screening, even while navigating the demands of pregnancy.
She reiterated that early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve treatment outcomes and reduce mortality.
“Pregnancy should not be a reason to delay screening. In fact, it is a critical period where heightened awareness can save lives,” Ms Gozo said.
The engagement also created a platform for open dialogue, allowing the expectant mothers to ask questions, share concerns, and receive guidance from health professionals present at the clinic.
Health experts at the facility echoed the foundation’s message, underscoring that routine checks and screenings, when done early, can lead to timely interventions and better health outcomes for both mother and child.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
