Otiko Afisah Djaba writes: Where is the freedom of women and girls in Ghana?

As we celebrate GHANA at 63 years of independence and the International Women’s Day this month, the question on our mind is, where is the freedom of women and girls? To date, the voices of countless abused women have been rendered voiceless, the tears of unfulfilled women have gone unnoticed, the screams of our girls being defiled go unheard, the frustrations and pains of women with disability are ignored, and the continuous domination of men over women are a few of the injustices against women and girls, that we must address this year. A mother of a three-year-old girl recently reported that her daughter, who attends Face to Face international school in Fete Kakraba in the central region of Ghana had been raped by her teacher.

In the light of this gruesome and heinous crime against this little girl, how do we celebrate women fully? We at the Foundation seize the 2020 International Women’s Day occasion, to condemn this recent defilement of the three-year-old school girl at Cape Coast. #ThisNonsenseMustStop.

Ghana has signed on to so many global resolutions and protocols such as the CEDAW, Maputo Protocol, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security to protect women’s rights and inclusion. However, discrimination and inequality are still prominent injustices against females in our societies. Women and girls continue to face significant challenges such as sexual and gender based violence, social and political exclusion. Gender equality in all spheres of our life in the Ghanaian society leave much to be desired.

That notwithstanding, Women are sheroes, they are bold, courageous, tenacious, resilient, strong, beautiful and full of brains. What would the world be like without women? - it would be one big mess. The Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation says ayeeekoo to all women today, 8th March, International Women’s Day globally. We congratulate and celebrate all women across the globe, most especially Ghanaian women in honour of their remarkable contributions to our communities and society.

International Women’s Day (IWD) which is celebrated globally on 8 March every year is dedicated to commemorate the inspiring role of women around the world to secure women’s rights and build more equitable societies across all spheres of life as well as shaping the future. The day is also used to honour the successes chalked by women whose endeavors have seen them rise to the highest positions in politics, education, sports, entertainment, in the army, medicine, the corporate world, in our homes, among others.

The IWD 2020 throws light on the rights of women not realized after 25 years of the Beijing Platform, the Me Too campaign, Women to Deliver Conference in Canada. The Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation is thus, again calling on this Government and Parliament to pass the Affirmative Action Bill NOW and to finalize the amendment of the Disability Act to demonstrate our seriousness in nation building. Women’s issues are national concerns and should be addressed with utmost urgency.

We also call on the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection to increase and intensify the HeForShe campaign to encourage men to stand up and support gender equality. We call on the National House of Chiefs to remove all negative traditional and cultural barriers that prevent women and girls from achieving their full potential.

The 2020 IWD celebrations also coincides with the 25th Anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action which aimed at promoting women’s human rights and gender equality. The theme for the 2020 IWD is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”, which aligns with the UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign “Generation Equality”, Each For Equal Campaign.

Ghana participated actively in the Beijing Conference in 1995 and has since made progress in some areas. It is noteworthy that a number of women have risen to high ranking positions in the security services, judiciary, governance, academia and economic sectors. Ghana has women Chief Justices, Speaker of Parliament, Vice-Chancellors, Inspector General of Police, Director General of the Prison Service, Comptroller General of Ghana Immigration Service, medical doctors, sports, entertainment, engineers and other equally important positions.

The Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation would like to use this opportunity to call on government and enforcement agencies to enforce the laws that protect females, particularly on defilement and rape, eradication of female genital mutilation and the witches' camps in Ghana. Though the practice of FGM is abolished by law, it is still practiced in some communities in Ghana. Defilement and Rape are criminal offenses, let the strong arm of the law be visited on the perpetrators.

It is a whole new world and Ghanaians must not be left out. GHANA at 63years must do everything possible to treat women and girls well. Happy International Women’s Day GHANA mbaaaa.

#ShowSomeLoveToWomen

#EachForEqual

#InternationalWomen’sDay2020

Signed Otiko Afisah Djaba

Executive Director

Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation