Gender
Unique wives honour husbands for their marital commitment
Fifteen distinguished married women have honoured their husbands with gifts to express their love for long and dedicated services and contributions to their stable marriages.
The special event was an initiative of Bishop Dr Ellen Dua-Agyemang Akoto founder of Kings Universal Chapel (KUC) and Mount Horeb Glory Ministry (MHGM) at Odumase- Sunyani.
The celebration dubbed “Couples Appreciation Day” was under the theme “Remember like it’s yesterday’’.
The purpose of the programme was to create the awareness for married couple to understand the need to express their love while the other partner was still alive.
It was also an opportunity for married women to cherish and adore their husbands who had been able to marry them for a decade.
Among other criteria were a husband who practices monogamy, a husband who has been able to educate the children to the tertiary level and other responsibilities.
The longest couple had married for 56 years and the freshest among the 15 couples was only three months in marriage.
The crowning of the ceremony was the Diamond Award given to a couple who had been married for 60 years and given birth to 12 children out of which nine had survived.
The man, Mr Emmanuel Kwame Obiri is now 96 years while the wife Mama Esther Kyeremaa, is 80 years.
Bishop Dr Dua-Agyemang Akoto addressing the gathering said “Most often a sweet tribute is read after the death of the husband to show that he was the best when he was alive.”
She said this platform was to enable spouses to express their love in a form of presentation of gifts to appreciate their husbands irrespective of the challenges they had encountered.
She said that gift was a language to express love and respect to the receiver.
Bishop Dr Dua-Agyemang Akoto said she would be reaching out to as many married couples as possible so that such an event could address some marital issues.
She noted the event was going to be organised twice in a year during Christmas and Easter festivities and the target group would be middle age and old couples to share their love stories for others to learn and fraternise since they have limited outing activities.
She called on well-meaning Ghanaians who have interest in sustaining and reconciling marriages to bring out the beauty in both Godly and socio-economic perspective to collaborate with her vision in achieving this feat.
The Dwantoahemaa of Sunyani Nana Boah Boahemaa applauded the initiative and indicated that it would help complement the efforts of the traditional authority in solving disputes.
Other women also presented gifts to special men who had made positive impacts in their lives.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, a Deputy Chief of Staff, has called for sustained legal and institutional reforms to address gender biases within Ghana’s justice system.
She urged women lawyers to build on the legacy of trailblazers who have shaped the country’s legal landscape.
Madam Bampoe Addo made the call at the maiden Biennial Conference of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) Women’s Forum, organised in collaboration with the Ghana School of Law in Accra on Tuesday.
The event was on the theme: “The role of women lawyers in national development: honouring trailblazers.”
Madam Bampoe Addo said the progress made by women in the legal profession was not accidental but the result of years of struggle, sacrifice and determination.
She paid tribute to early trailblazers such as Matilda Foster and Annie Jiagge, saying their achievements broke barriers and opened doors for generations of women lawyers.
She commended the contributions of female judicial leaders, including Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, Mrs Sophia Akuffo, and Mrs Gertrude Torkornoo, whose leadership reflected the growing influence of women in Ghana’s judiciary.
Women lawyers had made significant contributions across multiple sectors, including the courtroom, academia, policy development, civil society advocacy and community engagement.
Madam Bampoe Addo noted that their efforts had advanced gender equality, strengthened institutions and improved access to justice in the country.
She expressed concern about the persistent gender biases within the justice system, particularly in some judicial pronouncements that could undermine the dignity of women.
The courts, she noted, must not only deliver justice but must also communicate it in a manner that upheld respect and fairness for all parties.
“There is undervaluation of women’s unpaid domestic labour, including caregiving responsibilities, which are often overlooked in legal determinations, especially in matrimonial cases,” she added.
She called for a more progressive and context-sensitive approach to adjudication, drawing on comparative jurisprudence from other jurisdictions to ensure fairness and equity.
Madam Bampoe Addo urged legal practitioners and judges to build on progressive legal precedents and ensure that Ghana’s legal system evolved to reflect contemporary social realities.
She emphasised the importance of mentorship and inclusivity, encouraging women in leadership to create opportunities for others and support the next generation of female lawyers.
She called on young women to pursue legal careers with confidence, adding that the profession offered vast opportunities to contribute to national development.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Donkor, the Director-General of CID, said women lawyers played indispensable roles in shaping Ghana’s legal and governance systems.
They had excelled in various fields and occupied key leadership positions, contributing to policy reforms and championing justice for vulnerable groups, she added.
COP Donkor paid tribute to trailblazing women lawyers whose achievements continued to inspire and motivate younger generations to strive for excellence.
She urged students and young practitioners to go beyond academic successes and embrace the broader mission of promoting justice, fairness and societal transformation.
She encouraged more women lawyers to consider careers in the Ghana Police Service, describing law enforcement as a critical area where legal expertise was needed to strengthen justice delivery.
She commended the organisers of the conference for the success, saying it would encourage the next generation of women lawyers to continue to make significant contributions to Ghana’s development. – GNA
The Dzidula Pink Foundation has engaged expectant mothers on cervical cancer at a recent pregnancy clinic held at St Gregory Hospital, Budumburam in the Awutu Senya East District.
The engagement formed part of its advocacy on early cancer detection to safeguard maternal health.
It also formed part of the foundation’s broader mission to raise awareness about cancers affecting women, particularly at a time when many may be least likely to consider screening especially pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Addressing a gathering of pregnant women at the clinic, the president of the foundation, Ms Fafa Gozo, highlighted a worrying trend where a significant number of women are diagnosed with cancer around the time of delivery.
This, she noted, often results from delayed screening and limited awareness about the importance of early detection.
She educated the women about the need to prioritise their health by undertaking timely cancer screening, even while navigating the demands of pregnancy.
She reiterated that early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve treatment outcomes and reduce mortality.
“Pregnancy should not be a reason to delay screening. In fact, it is a critical period where heightened awareness can save lives,” Ms Gozo said.
The engagement also created a platform for open dialogue, allowing the expectant mothers to ask questions, share concerns, and receive guidance from health professionals present at the clinic.
Health experts at the facility echoed the foundation’s message, underscoring that routine checks and screenings, when done early, can lead to timely interventions and better health outcomes for both mother and child.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
