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‘Let professional counselor, law enforces deal with marital violence’
Religious organisations have been admonished to allow professional counsellors and law enforcement agencies to handle cases of Gender-Based Violence in marriages.
This is to reduce the level of emotions attached to such issues by unprofessionals that could aggravate the situation and in the end do more harm than good to both the perpetrators and victims.
In an interview with The Spectator on Wednesday, an Associate Pastor of the Salvation Prayer Missions World Wide Ghana, at Lapaz, in Accra, Lady Rev Salome Afua Owusu Afriyie said sometimes therapy, anger management, legal actions and activities that would lead to psychological transformation were necessary to help address such worrisome issues in marriage.
She observed that some religious bodies may not have the capacity to properly counsel the couple and resort to measures such as asking the victims to pray for their perpetrators to have a change of heart which might not be appropriate.
She said it was not misplaced to suggest separation if the situation was becoming worse because this gave both spouses the opportunity to step aside from each other to see whether the marriage could work again or “forever remain broken”.
The Associate Pastor said where it was needful to resort to necessary measures to keep the abuser away, for example a restraining order, this should be done by the use of the law court or other legal institutions of state.
She said where the situation became unbearable, the victims must be given the freehand to walk away from their abusive marriage and begin a new life.
“Let us also get professionals to teach and raise awareness to help prevent such issues in our various organisations” she stated.
Lady Rev Afriyie said that curbing Gender-Based Violence in marriages must be a shared responsibility.
She said it was important that families played a watch role in ensuring that their members were safe after marriage but should not take any changes they observed in them for granted.
She said “It is not easy to tell others that you are being abused so when people muster courage to say they are going through such a challenge, families must act swiftly because delays had led to the loss of lives in some homes”.
The Associate Pastor again advised persons who were yet to get married to look out for signs of abuse and should not take them for granted when they were identified.
She said signs such as “insecurity, a possessive partner or one who looks or talks down on you whether in private or public should be seen as a red flag and be treated with all the seriousness possible or such relationships should be brought to an end”.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema.
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
