News
Reduce workload on pupils – girl appeals
A form two Junior High School (JHS) pupil at Wa in the Upper West Region, Miss Rashida Ibrahim has appealed to parents to reduce the workload on girls in order to allow them time to study and compete favourably with their male counterparts in class.
The young girl lamented that most girls were over burdened with household chores which were unfairly distributed among male and female siblings at home and said this act limited their performance levels in other aspects of life.
“Most of us girls do not get time to play with our colleagues and no time to make friends and socialise because the moment, we close from school, there is work to do at home”, she said.
Ms Rashida stated these on the sidelines of a women empowerment programme orgainsed at Wa by the Network for Young Women’s Empowerment (NYWE) last weekend.
As if this is not enough, Rashida says she has to rush to the market after school, pick up food items from her mother to go and prepare supper, wash dishes and put the house in order.
“I sometimes finish my chores around 8pm by which time, I am very tired and unable to read, but I am quite fortunate that one of my uncles is a teacher so he comes around and helps me with my studies at times”, she said.
Rashida intimated that even with assistance from her uncle, she had never made it to the top 20 in her class after exam because she did not make enough time to read her books.
Miss Rashida said that she would be grateful if parents would share the chores amongst male and female siblings but feared that might never happen as she was constantly reminded of the need to keep up the ‘good work’ for a better marriage in future.
She, therefore, queried if being a woman was all about serving people but not having enough time for oneself was the way to go and sometimes wished she was a male.
Throwing more light on her concern, a member of the NYWE, Ms Doris Siibu attested that growing up as a female was very challenging in many homes in Ghana as many of them had to deal with numerous household chores which were embedded in traditions and culture.
“These things are pushed by traditions we have lived with for so long, hence changing them will require gradual and intentional education that will speak to the minds of people and make them see reason to allow both male and females to maintain the home together”, she said.
She called on parents to support their females to progress both in school and at home by reducing the workload on them and sharing it with their brothers so that girls could also engage in other social activities for mental development.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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