Features
A chance for Ghana women
God made man and woman, He gave man extra strength in recognition of his title as head of the family. When God appoints you, he empowers you. So man was empowered so that in any event of a domestic brawl, he would not be found with a cracked jaw.
The extra strength God gave to man was not to be used to enslave his wife, but to ensure discipline if she became rebellious, disloyal and revolutionary. This implies that, it is in the nature of a wife to overthrow her husband and declare herself head of family, especially when the husband loses his job.
The power accorded man is, however, meant to be exercised not abused. In some cases, men over-exercise their strength to quell domestic riots and their wives end up with an extra eye, half a nose and several teeth missing in action.
The man will justify his excessive application of force to the nature of her wife’s rebellion, the weight of her insults, the rapidity of her curses and the riotous nature of her emotions.
After a few days in hospital, the wife might decide to return to her marital home, loving her dear husband even more.
And she’ll tell her furious mother that it was all her fault. Her husband should not be blamed, because it was in her own interest that she was thrashed, and veritably so. The love between a wife and a husband can sometimes transcend into the boundaries of stupidity!
KUNG FU
In Chinaland, the men don’t have a field day. The woman comes into marriage with a Blackbelt in Kung Fu (9th Dan). She can somersault and flip over ten times in 15 seconds in the small kitchen. So where does the man’s power lie? In his waist?
When a fight breaks out and the man isn’t as skilled in karate or taekwando, he’ll sure end up with a dislocated jaw and a crooked face.
He’ll not be able to tell his friends that he endured a good beating from his wife. What he’ll do is to go for further training so that come the next domestic tournament, he could give a good account of himself to earn the respect of his in-laws. A man who is beaten by his wife cannot earn even a dog’s respect!
Now, God also created the vine, so that sinful man can cultivate grapes and produce wine to gladden his heart. If man doesn’t gladden his heart, he would be too hard on his family. When he doesn’t drink, he goes about finding fault with everything. And before you’re aware he’s slapping his wife left, right and centre!
God understands man better than man understands himself and it was not for any other reason that God created the vine, other than to gladden that heart of man. Unfortunately, the average man goes beyond gladdening his heart. He wants to booze his head off; to booze his eyes blind.
When alcohol goes past gladdening the heart, it becomes a mocker. A drunken man can cause mayhem. So God decided that those whose lives were dedicated to him should never touch alcohol, lest they denigrated His image. Those became the Nazirites!
PERMISSION
God, in His own wisdom, extended the authority of man in the home to the church. So according to the Bible (not according to Kwame Alomele) women are not permitted to be pastors.
Fortunately, the Bible doesn’t debar women from becoming rulers of nations. So a woman can be a second-in-command in her home, but the chief executive of a nation. When she gets home from her office she must salute the husband. The President must prepare her husband’s morning coffee and bring it to him with a slight bow. No presidential pretentions about it!
In parts of Africa, women rarely aspire to become presidents due to the cultural dominance of men over women. So for decades, African nations did not have female presidents until Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson decided to take up the challenge against soccer legend George Weah.
Now, with history having been made with Sirleaf-Johnson as Africa’s first lady president, the question being asked is whether this is not the much-awaited floodgate for the advent of women presidents in African nations.
South Africa has a woman vice-president, a novelty in that part of Africa. In Ghana, the clarion call has been offered for women not to sit on the fence but to participate in politics, society, wherever they find themselves.
Today, we have more lady members of parliament than we ever had. So the time has probably come for Ghana to welcome her first woman president 2028, and why not?
Who says we don’t have women. I can mention at least one who readily comes to mind. Her name is Hawa Yakubu.
We have other academia and business, well-groomed, highly intelligent, who take up the challenge once.
Some people actually want women to lead because of pacifist nature, their avers violence and their milk of kindness. All over, the women who ruled made a Golda Meir ruled Israel, Indira Gandhi – India: Agatha.
Barbara -Malta, Corazon Aquino- Philippines, Chamorro- Nicaragua, Mary Robinson -Ireland, Chandrika Kumaratunga- Sri Lanka, Mary Mc Aleese – Ireland, ( incumbent), Vaira Vike – Freiberga (Lativa), Tarja Halonen – Finland, Gloria Arroyo -Philipines, and Margaret Thatcher- Great Britain.
Hawa Yakubu, a very intelligent and experienced politician and those in her class motivated by Sirleaf- Johnson’s achievement and brace up to it. This will also bring in a lot of excitement into Ghana politics which has so far been dominated by men.
This article was first published on Saturday, December 3, 2005
In the pursuit of nurturing healthy, fulfilling relationships, we often focus on understanding our partners, communicating effectively, and navigating conflicts. However, a crucial element is frequently overlooked: self-awareness.
Understanding ourselves is the foundation upon which successful relationships are built. Imagine being in a relationship where every conversation feels like a minefield, and every disagreement leaves you wondering if you are truly understood.
Now, picture a relationship where you feel seen, heard, and valued—not because your partner has magically figured you out, but because you have taken the time to understand yourself. This is the transformative power of self-awareness in relationships.
What is Self-Awareness?
Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is the capacity to reflect on ourselves, acknowledging our strengths and weaknesses, and taking responsibility for our actions. With self-awareness, we are better equipped to manage our emotions, respond to situations more thoughtfully, and make informed decisions that align with our values.
How Self-Awareness Impacts Relationships
- Improved Communication:
When we are aware of our own emotions and needs, we can communicate them more effectively to our partner, reducing misunderstandings and conflicts. By recognising our tendency to become defensive in certain situations, we can take a step back, breathe, and respond more constructively. - Increased Empathy:
Self-awareness allows us to recognise and manage our own biases, enabling us to be more empathetic and understanding towards our partner’s perspective. By acknowledging our own emotional triggers, we can respond to our partner’s needs with more compassion. - Healthier Boundaries:
By understanding our own needs and limits, we can establish and maintain healthy boundaries, preventing codependency and resentment. Self-awareness helps us communicate our boundaries clearly and respectfully, fostering mutual respect in relationships. - Personal Growth:
Self-awareness fosters personal growth, enabling us to work on our flaws and become a better partner, friend, and individual. As we develop self-awareness, we become more resilient, adaptable, and better equipped to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and purpose.
Cultivating Self-Awareness
- Mindfulness and Reflection:
Regular mindfulness practices and self-reflection can help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself. Schedule time for reflection, whether through journaling, meditating, or simply taking a quiet walk in nature. - Journaling:
Writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences can provide valuable insights into your motivations and behaviors. Reflect on your journal entries to identify patterns, gain clarity, and develop a greater understanding of yourself. - Seek Feedback:
Ask trusted friends, family, or a therapist at Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) for feedback on your strengths and areas for improvement. Be open to constructive criticism and use it as an opportunity for growth and self-awareness. - Embrace Imperfection:
Recognise that nobody is perfect, and it is okay to make mistakes. This mindset allows you to approach self-awareness with kindness and compassion, fostering a more positive and growth-oriented relationship with yourself.
As we cultivate self-awareness, we embark on a journey of growth, discovery, and transformation. By understanding ourselves, we can build stronger, more resilient relationships, and live a more authentic, meaningful life. Self-awareness is not a destination; it is a continuous process of learning, growing, and evolving—and one that requires patience, kindness, and compassion towards ourselves and others.
In conclusion, self-awareness is the cornerstone of healthy, fulfilling relationships. By understanding ourselves, we can communicate more effectively, empathise with our partner, and cultivate personal growth. As we strive to build stronger relationships, let us prioritise self-awareness, embracing our true selves, and loving ourselves for who we are. By doing so, we will become better partners, friends, and individuals—capable of building more profound, lasting connections with others, and living a life that truly reflects our values and aspirations.
To be continued …
By Counselor Prince Offei
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ONE profession which society has battled with is prostitution. Prostitutes can’t be stopped in their tracks. Soldiers have tried, policemen have doubled and redoubled to keep them off the streets. But the prostitute is like the cockroach. Sack it from the kitchen and it moves to the toilet where it can enjoy self-contained facilities. Drive it away from there and it scurries to the bedroom to become the landlord.
Prostitutes can live on land and sea. They are mysterious and defy gravity, a feat—even birds of the air have not successfully accomplished. They can change form and appear as bar girls; they dress like students; act like scholars and speak Oxford English. They are also like the chameleon but once their clients can identify them, no problem. The Sikaman prostitute normally enters the business as an amateur, having been introduced by a professional or a caricature of a pimp. But she learns quickly.
In a short time, she is able to take any size without wailing, unless of course the size is “international”.
Prostitutes are of every tribe, height, weight, colour and notoriety. These days, some are well-schooled with diplomas and degrees. They enter into the world’s oldest profession due to factors ranging from poverty to nymphomania.
Most prostitutes in Sikaman are often not sophisticated in outlook and modus operandi. Often, they easily betray themselves with their gaudy appearance, over-painted faces, skimpy skirts, cigarette in hand, walking with that kind of bottom-wriggling gait that can instantly turn a devoted clergyman into a he-goat.
In developed countries like Spain, prostitution takes different forms. Apart from those you can grab from the cheap bars and ghettos for single night stands and those managed by shameless pimps, there are some who are organised by well-established syndicates and specialised agencies.
If you need a girl for the night, you only have to telephone an agency, describing the kind and breed you want—race, height, size, colour (chocolate?), rudeness, smoking type, strip-teasing, shyness, whatever.
You give your address and the girl on time. You pay by the hour and cost per hour can make you feel dizzy without falling down. You’ll still be steady for the showdown.
The girls have been trained to use tricks and communication skills to make their clients spend several hours without really doing anything. A typical prostitute will make you drink, chat at length (they are very knowledgeable), cook for you, bathe you and breast-feed you. That takes some three hours and you have to pay if you still want her services.
If you grow a bit wiser and protest, and insist vehemently that you are tired of being babied and want some real action now, she’ll do another hour of strip-tease and belly-dance by which time you’re either bored or charged to bursting point.
And finally you will do it but never without a condom. And the kind of condom she’ll give you can’t be torn by any knife around the globe, not even okapi. Before you’re finally through, you’ve got some five-hour helluva bill to pay. Next time round, you’ll think twice and go in for the cheap-side who’ll even allow you to do it without condoms if you are tired of living and want to die of AIDS.
In Sikaman, apart from those who operate from hotels and bars, some operate in private homes. The clients come and line-up, each with a hard-on. When the queue is not moving fast some begin to sweat because they have a very low sexual boiling point. If they are not ushered in quickly they can cause problems.
They’ll start grunting and stamping and can disrupt the peaceful and orderly procedure. As it were, such clients need priority attention so that they do not cause a riot and disturb the public peace.
Incidentally, prostitutes don’t like dealing with such clients because they are bad business. They have no biblical patience at all. They rush too much, and that was why a prostitute once asked a client whether he was a Russian because he rushed a bit too much and messed up things.
Prostitution in Sikaman has taken a new turn. Girls as little as sixteen are selling their bodies sometimes with the passive connivance of their mothers. When the girls go out at 9.00 p.m. and return at 3.00 a.m, their mothers let them in without asking questions. Next day, the house is properly fed from the proceeds of the night adventure and everybody is happy and nobody talks. If you talk, no breakfast for you tomorrow morning.
The police are doing quite a job trying to get them off the streets but they go and return just like the cockroach. Many of them are surely agents for the transmission of the AIDS virus because they permit clients to forgo the condom. They only have to pay extra for the “raw” service.
Now, the idea of legalising prostitution has been a very controversial one. If prostitutes can hardly be gotten off the streets since they are defiant and are now very many, why not legalise the profession, issue licences (not to kids), offer them health services and health education, teach them how to protect themselves and others from sexually transmitted diseases and then compel them to pay tax?
That would force children out of the trade because the legal operators will themselves force out the kids who will be competing with them. They would even assist the police to kick out the 15 and 16 year olds.
If a bad phenomenon cannot be wiped out, a way must be found to make it less and less harmless, so that while it doesn’t benefit society in any grand way, it does not also harm it.
Any suggestions?
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