Features
Looking twice at a lady
A FEMALE doctor has set new parameters for the definition of sexual harassment. A mortuary attendant commented on her buttocks and promptly got a letter from the management of the hospital. The attendant thought it was about wage increases.
It was when he read the letter that he realised that his seemingly harmless comment about the doctor’s powerful behind was being mistaken for sexual harassment.
But the hospital referred him to its Code of Ethics and stated it categorically that merely saying the doctor had big buttocks constituted sexual harassment, the consequence of which was summary dismissal.
The attendant has denied the charge of harassment, saying he was not referring to the doctor’s bottom but to that of a ward assistant with whom he is on very friendly terms.
CHRAJ is handling the matter, and I don’t quite know if the doctor and female ward assistant in question would be required to present their body frames as exhibits to aid in the final determination of the case.
Limits
This particular palaver is a real test case that would set the limits to what can be regarded as sexual harassment and what cannot be regarded as such.
I think in determining such limits, the Bible could be of help. Jesus is quoted as saying that if a man sees a lady and lusts in his heart for her, he has already committed adultery although he has not touched the woman.
Could this also be applied to sexual harassment such that a lady could press charges for sexual harassment if she could prove that a man, by his body language, lusted after her?
I hear some female groups have met and drawn up what constitute sexual harassment. One of them is that when you look at a lady in a certain way that suggests you admire her, you are in fact sexually harassing her.
Also when you look at a lady twice, then you must explain why. Why do you look at her, then turn round to look at her again? Such double sighting could lead to trouble for the beholder. So when you look at a lady twice, you quickly have to apologise for the second look and state that it was by mistake.
Does it, therefore, imply that when you look at a lady once you must ask her permission before you can look at her again?
“Taflatse, I have already looked at you once. Can I please have a second chance? I didn’t see the shape of your buttocks well the first time.” What a petition!
Purge
Well, Sikaman ladies have really started tightening the noose around the necks of the men. And pretty soon, men will be physically dragged to face justice to purge them of the sin of sexually harassment.
Believe me such men are in their millions. Some actually grab buttocks with five fingers, others grab breasts and others fondle. But the point of confusion is that some ladies enjoy the treat and even encourage it. Of course, others protest and scream to the high heavens.
So which one is sexual harassment? Is it only when the ladies protest or when they also enjoy it? The definition of sexual harassment must be very clear and unambiguous.
Now when women went to Beijing sometime in the 1990s, they came back with various strategies against men. Now marital rape is being crafted into a bill, so that when a man wants to have sex with his wife, he has to ask verbal or written permission, whichever is convenient.
If she doesn’t grant the permission, the man must go to sleep sad-faced. He is permitted to fume, but he can’t use force. If he does, he’d be hauled into the dock to face marital rape. If he doesn’t wind up at Nsawam, then of course, Akuse will be his resting place.
Now, can a woman be charged with sexually harassing a man? Legally, that is possible. If a woman, of mischief, or because she is on heat, decides to weigh your phallus, then you could report her to the police for sexual harassment.
The problem is whether or not the police will take such a case seriously. An amused policeman will tell you that if the woman wants it, why not give it to her? “This is foolish case!”
Freestyle
It is exactly like when a man goes to the police and reports that his wife has beaten him in a freestyle domestic brawl. The policeman at the charge office will look at his black eye and traumatised nose, and laugh.
“So you were standing there like a dummy and your wife beat you basaaa like this? Go back home, train hard so that next time you can put up a better show. How can a woman beat a man? As for this one, it is a foolish case.’’
“This article was first published on Saturday February 25, 2006
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THE typical itinerant salesman in Sikaman is a herbalist. He is normally a slim macho with the capacity to perambulate the expanse of area covering the triangle of Accra-Tema-Ashiaman. In short, he can walk a total of 60 miles a day, marketing a product that cures every disease, including poverty. 
The door-to-door herbal pharmacist advertises his product by word of mouth. He has nothing to do with the Food and Drugs Board (FDB). After all, his concoctions do not feature on FM stations.
Those herbalists who cannot walk to propagate the herbal gospel, liaise with drivers of mass transportation and their mates. They are, therefore, given the chance to sell their products on Benz buses that ply the routes.
Normally, the herbalist starts his sales message with a prayer and Bible study. He asks the passengers to bow down their heads in supplication to God the father, the son, the Holy Spirit.
When a herbalist asks the passengers to close their eyes and bow their heads, Moslems on board naturally feel offended. They feel that the herbalist has no right to assume that every passenger is a Christian. They think such an assumption is an affront to Islam.
So a Moslem on board will raise the hand for a point of order. He’ll remind the herbalist that it would be in his own interest to mind his language.
“Be careful the way you address people in a public place. Not every person here is a Christian,” he’d state assertively.
Of course, the herbalist will promptly ignore him, but would all the same “watch” his tongue. Who knows whether or not the Moslem brother is inspired by Quoranic zeal to defend the tenets of Islam to the hilt?
When he starts saying, “Wallahi!” and “Inshallah!” it could be the beginning of proclaiming Islam as supreme, a point which must be driven home with talibanic precision.
So the herbalist must tread carefully lest he steps on fire.
The herbalist could even add a measure of mirth to it all, by announcing that Christians on board today have very interesting company on the journey, but that should not detract from the business of the day.
The Moslem brother will weigh the words carefully and offer a wry smile.
He must be careful the occasion does not degenerate into the use of semantics and proverbial oration to deride his conviction that public utterances must be mindful of religious sensibilities. He has made his point very clear and expects that it is taken in good faith in the interest of a peaceful journey.
The herbalist will now open the New Testament and preach salvation, stating clearly that salvation can come only through Jesus Christ and NOBODY else.
The Moslem brother will now start twitching his moustache. The visible and almost revolutionary reflexes of his upper lip can be an indication that sentiments have begun superseding reason, and the outcome could well be tragic now shift uneasily in his seat.
The time has come for him to also express his right to the religion of his fore-bears. He’ll put his hand into his pocket and rise to his feet. The time has indeed come!
This article was first published on Saturday, September 9, 2006
When the cause of a particular problem like sickness, disease, sudden illness, a social issue etc. are not known, it stands to reason that resolving it becomes a huge challenge.
Citizens would understand the government when public announcements are made to the effect that government is trying to find a solution to the issue, even though it is taking a while for it to be resolved because citizens are rational beings.
On the other hand, if the solution to a particular issue is known to everybody but the government for whatever reason, is dragging its feet in resolving it, citizens become frustrated and begin to lose trust in their leaders.
One such issue is the heavy traffic along a section of the Kasoa – Odokor road. A short stretch of bad road between the traffic light at the Weija Government Hospital and the entrance to the entrance of the overhead that leads to the N1, is the cause of the problem but nothing is being done about it, day after day, week after week, month after month. Thus is clearly unacceptable.
Another issue that requires urgent attention is the lack of pavements along a lot of streets in parts of the various Municipal Assemblies. Exercise is a prerequisite for long life and healthy living and for those of us who it has become a way of life, this issue of people putting up structures right to the edge of the drains beside the roads, are making life difficult for us.
We are compelled to walk along the roads, putting our lives at serious risk. Pedestrians should never be compelled to compete with vehicles on our streets and roads. Roads and streets are made for vehicles and pavements are made for pedestrians. That is the norm. Any attempt to normalise a situation where pedestrians are mingling with vehicles is insanity.
It is the road regulations that makes it so and therefore district or municipal assemblies are to take responsibility and ensure that spaces for pavements are not encroached upon. Citizens have rights that must be protected by their leaders and making pavements available to pedestrians, is one of them.
When we hear of teachers having sex with students, it appears it is something recent. It is not a new phenomenon. It has been there since Adam. Perhaps this issue is getting much attention due to the proliferation of social media. It was an open secret in times past when Teachers were in relationships with female students and some married them immediately after completion of school.
Some teachers were also known to be having unholy interactions with female pupils but due to the times that these acts occurred, human rights issues and the awareness around it, allowed such unscrupulous teachers to get away with their crimes.
Now we are in a different era and so a Headmaster is now in hot waters. He is alleged to have raped about 19 female students and as usual, some officials tried to cover it up and are also in hot waters and their actions or inactions in the matter are under investigation.
Why the man has been allowed to roam freely without being arrested is simply mind boggling. It appears that the law applies differently, depending on who you are. This issue came to public attention sometime in August this year, yet the police had not arrested or invited this man for question regarding the rape allegation.
It has come out that he is a Constituency Secretary of the ruling party and the question in the public domain is that, is it because he is a political figure that is why he is still walking around without questioning? I believe in the rule of law so let us hold our breadth and let the proper thing be done.
The police must however be seen to be active in this matter. God bless.
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