Gender
Stigmatisation of infertile male spouses also high
In Ghana, when couples are unable to have children of their own, it is the women who are mostly deemed to be stigmatised and ridiculed for their inability to have children.
However, according to experts, male stigmatisation is also high with theirs done subtly, causing them to take in all kinds of drugs and aphrodisiacs to boost their ability and to help them solve their problems.
Some are teased and mocked by their wives, relations and friends also give them several names depicting their problem.
The situation is causing some infertile men to lose their confidence, some have developed low self-esteem while others push the blame on their spouses or commit suicide.
In an exclusive interview on the issue with Dr Francis Vinkpenuba Wuobar, an Obstetrician Gynaecologist from the Eastern Regional Hospital, he explained that male stigmatisation was real, adding that it is causing a lot of sub fertile men to suffer emotionally and therefore called on the public to stop all forms of stigmatisation of infertile couples and rather show love and give them support.
He explained that “men take ridicule and stigma rather poorly than women and tend to internalise their emotions which cause them to lose their ego. The concept of not being a man enough is devastating.”
“Sometimes, some men who are deemed infertile in a bid to remain emotionally stable rather take the blame out unto their partners and this may cause them to avoid seeking help altogether,” he added.
He lamented that stigmatisation was one of the reasons some men refused to go to the hospital with their spouses to go through tests when a couple have problems with their fertility, adding that stigmatisation may worsen the problem or prolong it.
Dr Wuobar explained that child bearing involves a lot of process which can be interrupted and cause infertility, revealing that infertility in men can be as a result of dysfunctional sperm, prostrate, dysfunctional testes among others.
“Even at the production stage, an interruption can occur, it could be a problem with the testes which at a child stage may have not descended well into the scrotum or because of poor temperatures among others.”
He said it is only on a few occasions that some men may accept they have a problem attributing their reluctance to the stigma that they may go through.
The Obstetrician Gynaecologist called on the public to desist from subtly mocking men or infertile couples in general and rather encourage and support them to seek help.
He also encouraged such couples to live healthy lifestyles, prevent and treat infections promptly as well as seek medical attention early.
Kwabena (not real names) who has been married to his wife, Akua for over 30 years and lives in Tema told The Spectator that his wife left home and married another man because he was unable to impregnate her after he was diagnosed with low sperm count.
He said the situation made him lose his respect before his wife, friends and relatives who subtly stigmatised him and called him names.
He said he has been unmarried since and adopted two children he was taking care of. He, therefore, called on people to stop stigmatising men and rather encourage them to seek help when necessary, adding that wives are supposed to support their husbands.
Adu, also told the Spectator the he has been married for 15 years without a child, adding that it has not been a pleasant situation and called on the public to desist from stigmatising infertile couples.
“You feel it more when your colleague has delivered and you hear people tell him you are a man, it’s terrible.”
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Gender equality should not be left to women alone, but requires the active participation of men and other stakeholders, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has said.
She said gender equality was a national development issue and not a matter concerning only women, stressing that both men and women had important roles to play in creating an inclusive society.
Dr Lartey said this last Thursday in Accra at a capacity workshop on the implementation of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024.
The workshop was aimed at helping journalists understand the provisions of the Act, strengthen their capacity to communicate gender equity issues and promote accurate, balance reporting on the implementation of the Act.
Ghana could not achieve meaningful development if one section of society was excluded from participating fully in leadership, decision-making and other areas of national development.
“It is not about a group of people. It is not about one of the sexes. It is about the nation. It is about the country,” she said.
She called for stronger commitment to translating the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), into practical action to improve women’s participation in leadership and decision-making.
She said the passage of the law should not be considered the end of the process, but rather the beginning of deliberate efforts to ensure that its objectives were achieved.
Dr Lartey said increasing the number of women in leadership was important, but their participation must also have a meaningful impact on national development.
“We want it to count,” she stressed, calling for practical initiatives that would move the affirmative action agenda from policy to implementation.
The Executive Director of Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), Dr Charity Binka, also urged the media to play a critical role in ensuring the effective implementation of the Act.
She said Ghana had taken an important step by passing the law after 13 years of efforts, but the real test was its implementation.
According to Dr Binka, the Act requires 30 per cent representation of women in leadership and decision-making by 2026, rising to 50 per cent by 2030.
She urged the media to inform the public about the law, monitor institutions’ compliance and challenge stereotypes that undermine women’s leadership.
Dr Binka urged journalists to ensure institutions were complying with requirements, including Gender Equity Policies, Compliance Certificates and annual reports.
She said affirmative action was not about replacing merit with gender, but addressing structural barriers that had historically limited qualified women’s opportunities to participate and lead.
She called for stronger collaboration among government, civil society, traditional and religious leaders, the private sector, the media and other stakeholders to turn the law into measurable results for women and girls.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
The United Nations has warned, that Gender equality is “woefully off track.”
At the current rate of progress, gender equality would take 171 years to achieve, the UN’s Gender Snapshot report said.
The number of countries with a woman as head of state or government has increased from 2020 to 2026. “Yet six in seven countries are still led by men.
Women’s representation in national cabinets declined to 22.4 per cent in 2026, after peaking at 23.3 per cent in 2024,” the report said. “The decline is a warning sign that gains cannot be taken for granted, and that progress towards equal political power remains fragile.”
Funding for gender equality has fallen to its lowest level since 2021, the report found. At the same time, 42 per cent of UN agencies reported that their efforts to promote gender equality had been weakened, as a result of budget cuts.
Millions of women also continued to endure some extremely severe forms of violence and discrimination across the globe, the UN said. Nearly one in five girls is married before the age of 18, and nearly one in three women globally have survived partner or sexual violence in their lifetime.
In the past year, 316 million women experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner, the report said.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua, said the statistics were not inevitable. “It is the result of choices, made visible through data. Investing in gender equality, institutions, and the statistical systems that hold them to account is not a cost. It is the fastest route back to the 2030 Agenda’s promise of equal power for all.”-GNA
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