World Matters

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BILL – Support and Protection for the Weak

By Mardey Ohui Ofoe and Wendy Prentice

My eyes read about the 13 stair case that was the distance I had to cover. It was on the 25th of December 1999, the families had just left after spending the holidays; my mother spent most of her time doing night work to keep the visiting family even, to keep issues undertone and to create a sense of togetherness and the so called family air around.

The morning of the 30th December 1999, my mother solicited the attention of my father, on the invitation of the family for the Christmas holidays. My mother’s concern was about the acceptance of guest into the house without her consent whereas she provided for the family, the school fees, hospitals, shopping, food and other bills.

My father did nothing, apart from being the so called head of the family. The decision to be irresponsible was not out of need, it was deliberate because my father earned relatively higher.

My mother after countless fierce arguments and struggles has decided not to engage in such interactions with my father. She had sealed all her senses. Such was their sexual relationship as well. My mother was practically captured and forced by my father in their sexual relationships as vividly as I could remember.

My father took advantage of my mother’s weakness to pretend that everything was well.

But on the issue of the Christmas visit by the extended family, my mother expressed the concern that she was not consulted, which she sought for an explanation. My father ignored her and turned as though he was leaving her, then he threw her on the floor and kicked her many times. She screamed, yelled and cried. Our neighbours came to her rescue and took her to the hospital. After critical examination, she was discharged. The doctor said she had developed a stress pattern that could trigger heart failure. My mother wanted to be called a good wife. She remained quiet and did not seek redress in any form. My fathers’ family had tried to speak to their son but such events continued.

My mother was a very humble, quiet, kind and hardworking woman. What she got in return was a way of life that allowed her to be beaten by a man because she was a woman. Should we allow this to continue? Today, about half the population of women in Ghana are suffering some form of violence, which is considered a way of life.

“How a country with over twenty million people who claim to be democratic could justify rape in a marriage, leaves much to the imagination”. Said Angela Aboagye of the Ark Foundation Ghana.

In this case you are one of the 20 million people, who can make a difference by giving women, men and children protection. You may join the domestic violence bill coalition by sending your e-mail to dvbill@yahoo.com.

The Domestic Violence Bill also called the DV bill is a state sponsored bill which is supported by civil society organisations. Women groups have made input and in their own ways carried out public advocacy and education on the bill. Among the sensitive issues in the bill is the marital rape, which creates the opportunity for both women and men who are continuously sexually abused like my mother to seek redress. That, if this provision is not maintained, then our legislatures will be breaking families and endorsing undemocratic relationships and peace. What kind of family can one possibly have when the parties in the marriage consent cannot be reached in sexual relationship?


What kind of nation can we have when fathers are not responsible for their children? The DVbill seeks to address all these and give an opportunity for the weak and the innocent to seek justice. How such a bill is not yet passed in spite of the frequent cases of domestic violence escapes my mind.

Is the bill is delayed? And the effects of gender violence downplayed because we are in a man’s world? And the issues raised are not mainly affecting men? Or is it…………………..?

Unfortunately, pursuing issues of rape, sexual harassment, not to talk about marital rape in Ghana needs the wearing of an iron helmet, elephant feet, an eagle’s wings and a guiding angel. Even to this point, the poor survivor does not have the legal framework to seek the justice that is more often than not delayed and denied.


Remember, we live in global village and a country such as Ghana is living in a global room. We are all at risk and will be affected by domestic violence directly or indirectly.

Our Health's Wealth

The strength of a woman; Coping with Breast Cancer
By Patricia Arthur

Cancer is a serious disease in which growths of cells, form in the body and kill the normal body cells. Breast is the top front part of your body that consists of fat, connective tissue and glandular tissues that contain lobes. The lobes are where breast milk is produced. A group of ducts connect the lobes to the nipple. A woman’s breast is rarely the same size as each other and may feel different at different times of the menstrual cycle, sometimes becoming lumpy just before a period.

No one knows the exact causes of breast cancer. Doctors often cannot explain why one woman develops breast cancer and another does not. They do not know whether bumping; bruising, or touching does not cause cancer. Research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. A risk factor is something that may increase the chance of developing the growth

The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. A woman who has breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of getting cancer in her other breast.
The Causes of Breast Cancer differs from one woman to another but some women seem to be at a higher risk of developing the disease. Researchers are still studying the effect of diet, physical activity, and genetics on breast cancer risk.

In some cases, an inherited faulty gene causes breast cancer in several close members of the same family.


In most women, the signs of breast cancer are first noticed as a painless lump in the breast whiles some have their breast size or shape change, dimpling of the skin and lump or thickening. With some women the nipple becomes inverted, lump or thickening and bloodstained discharge. Whiles others have their arms swelling or lump in their armpit but usually not all pains in the breast are symptoms of breast cancer.
The chance of getting breast cancer after menopause is higher in women who are overweight or obese. With others too, women who are physically inactive throughout life may have an increased risk of breast cancer. Being active may help reduce risk by preventing overweight and obesity. Medical researches have also suggested that the more a woman drinks alcohol, the greater her risk of breast cancer.

Most women, after diagnosed of breast cancer, do wonder if they would be able to have sexual satisfaction onwards due to the emotions that arise during the course of the illness such as fatigue, loneliness, anxiety and stress. These do not really go hand-in-hand with sexual desires.

The facts that you are currently a cancer survivor should also make you to understand that your beauty has not changed in any case, it is your strength that has made you survive cancer and you can change your sexual life to be more exciting, adventurous, involving and intimate. It is quite difficult to handle and deal with breast cancer. You need a lot of strength from within. You have to be self-confident and positive at all times. Sometimes people around you may not exactly understand how you feel, to be there for you.

They may not accept your condition especially when it gets to its worst. This is the more reason why you should be the main source of your strength to take you through breast cancer. Your friends and family need time to comprehend your situation, accept it as well as be supportive.
Do not be quiet about your situation as if the cancer has defeated you. Talk about the cancer freely and educate people on it. Let them know what it feels like to have cancer and why you and many other women who have breast cancer need their support, encouragement, love and care.

When you are able to accept and make others around you also accept your condition nothing will be too much for you to do.

Many risk factors can be avoided. Others, such as family history, cannot be avoided. Women can help themselves by staying away from known risk factors whenever possible. But it is also important to keep in mind that most women who have known risk factors do not get breast cancer. If you think you may be at risk, you should discuss this with your doctor. Your doctor may be able to suggest ways to your risk and can plan a schedule for checkups.

Environmental Concerns

The Smoking and the Environment
By Ruhiya Issah

The statistics is frightening; many people get killed every now and then. We live in a world of fear and pressure, in which we are not encouraged to love life but to fear death. The World Health Organization (WHO) is at the fore front of public health campaign but what are companies doing to ensure safe and clean air.

Air pollution is one of the major causes of deaths and diseases in the world. According to the WHO, women and children in rural areas are at greater risk. However, it says that while the millions of deaths from well-known communicable diseases often make headlines, indoor air pollution remains a silent and unreported case. Exposure to air pollution is the main environmental threat to human lives. Nearly half of the world’s population continues to cook with solid fuels such as dung, wood, agricultural residues and coal.

"Exposure to smoke from cooking fires or close contact with smoke puts people at risk. It is very important to avoid smoke; research shows that about 17 million Americans have Asthma as a result of smoke. Smoke causes injury to the eye and also causes accidents. Smoke from burning fuels gives a poisonous mixture of particles and chemicals that go around the body and doubles the risk of illnesses such as asthma and pneumonia.

According to the WHO, a typical wood-fired cooking stove creates carbon monoxide and other harmful fumes at concentrations up to 500 times beyond safe limit. As a result, day in day out, and for hours at a time, rural and urban poor women and their children in particular are subjected to levels of smoke in their homes that far exceed international safety standards.

The increased need for fuel creates another burden for women. Unfortunately, stoves that are well insulated, though more efficient at cooking, will release a smaller amount of energy into the room. These needs have not been well catered for in the development of stove technology.

However, these women have no choice due to the fact that there is limited amount of money in the house that can be used for a more preferred means of fuel. Furthermore, stoves that are sometimes used in cooking produce smoke that is often poorly ventilated, leading to respiratory and eye problems.

The World Energy Assessment estimates that the amount of smoke from these fires is equivalent to consuming two packs of cigarettes a day. The Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) also estimates that 1.6 million deaths a year are the result of smoke-related complaints. This death is greater than that of malaria and translates to a life lost every 20 seconds.

The American Lung Association has published a comment on bibliography of recent studies of the health effects of air pollution. The bibliography summarizes several dozen studies published from mid-2001 to mid-2002 in peer-reviewed journals. The new studies link air pollution with lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, congenital heart defects, asthma, and even brain damage. They identify diabetics, asthma patients, those with congestive heart failure, and children who play outdoors as being at increased risk.

The solution to air pollution is very simple: we have to stop smoke from entering into the home or remove it from the home. The better option is to cook with a cleaner fuel. However, for the foreseeable future, many poor people will have little option but to cook on low-grade fuels. The best option for them is to safely remove the smoke from the kitchen. A lasting solution depends upon the active participation of those at risk.

Economic Actions

Show your Exclusivity
By Ruhiya Issah

The Government of Ghana has urge Ghanaian workers to abandon their westernized business attire in favor of local fabrics .The aim of the Friday wear is to create jobs by reviving the textile industries in Ghana that is collapsing. This will enable the country to save millions of foreign exchange for very important ventures. Ghanaians –like the citizens of some African countries mostly wear second – hand clothes, imported into the country. Majority of the people will avoid the hustle and bustle it take, to make a dress from local dressmakers and the disappointment that comes with collecting an attire for an important event on the events day.
The international clothing exports mostly stocks totaled just 4 million dollars last year. As a result the textile industry in the country that once employed some 25,000 textile workers now has just 3,000.

There are so many clothes made in Ghana. Some of which are batik, Tie and Dye and our industrial prints. Colour in the cloth of African people poses a lot of meanings. Each society in Ghana has its own name for the various clothing in Ghana. However, one finds similarities across culture and with movement and communication over time people have adapted and shared common dresses.

Our effort in the garment and textile industry leaves much to be desired.
More than one million other persons whose jobs are linked to the textile industry, such as traders and cotton farmers have lost their means of livelihood as a result of the dumped second hand clothing.

Second-hand textile materials range from shirts, skirts, blouse, trousers, pants,
T-shirt, bed-sheet, stockings, handbags and shoes. These textiles from foreign countries are highly patronized by citizens largely because the purchasing power of most citizens can only afford such products.

While textile manufacturers continue to worry about the impact of second-hand clothes on the industry, those who patronize “obroni waawu” must understand that their patronage is denying job to the citizens. Government must protect our industry and it cannot do this by signing a completed trade agreement with an uncertain economy or do that by opening the country’s market to second-hand goods.

Even though we can blend our traditional dress with foreign ones, if we are not wearing our own stuff here in Ghana, how do we expect to sell in different countries? Every Ghanaian in spite of the reasons has the responsibility and duty to patronize made in Ghana goods to enable a basic livelihood for all Ghanaians.

Our Rights

The Watering Effects on Women

By Mardey Ohui Ofoe

A child dies every fifteen seconds from water and sanitation related diseases. People’s livelihoods, education and dignity are also affected. This unfortunate global picture does not exclude Ghana.
The water problem in Ghana may not only have been caused by lack of facilities. Some policies and decisions easily deny the voiceless poor access to potable water. The national policy of five percent community upfront cash contribution to the capital cost of water facilities, for instance, denies the poor communities access to good drinking water since many of them cannot afford it.
Visualize a life without safe water flowing from your tap. Also imagine, every morning, you had to get up at dawn to walk for miles down uneven paths to the nearest water hole to collect family's water. Then imagine the state of the water; filthy, dirty with flies buzzing around and animals drinking at the same source.

In rural Africa, women often walk ten miles or more every day to fetch water. In the dry season it is common for women to walk twice that distance. The wells at the end of these journeys are often little more than waterholes dug out deeper and deeper as the dry season progresses. Not to think of the frustration of walking three miles towards home with a heavy water pot, falling and losing all the water you so carefully collected, and probably breaking the pot as well.
Apart from travelling such long distances, women often have to wait in turn to collect water. Waiting times can add five hours onto the journey. To avoid such long waits, many women get up in the middle of the night to get to the water source when there is no queue. This exposes women to the danger of sexual harassment, assault and animal attacks.

In urban slums, without access to clean water women have to either walk long distances, use dirty water from ponds and rivers (often polluted by factories) or they are charged large amounts of money by water sellers. Women in towns need to find paid employment to keep their families and so the need to collect water becomes a drain on both time and money.
Water containers usually hold about 20 litres of water. Women constantly carrying such heavy weights, on the head, back or hip, have severe health implications. Backache and joint pains are common, and in extreme cases curved spines and pelvic deformities can result, creating complications in childbirth. In some cases pregnant women sometimes keep on carrying water until they deliver.

To an already over burdened day, women have to manage their time to carry out all the domestic and income-generating work that they are responsible for. Due to the burden of collecting water, girls are unable to attend school hence very few women in developing countries have education or are decision-makers in communities.

When water is accessible to women, their health and that of the whole family will improve. Women will have time for agriculture or other income generating activities, looking after their children or simply relaxing. Decision and policy-makers are mostly not on the ground to be properly informed of the impacts of their decisions on the poor communities. Government must develop strategies to heavily tax persons or organisations that use treated water for their lawn. The selling of water to poor communities is comparable to asking them to choose between life and death.

“We call upon organizations and individuals around the world to express their international solidarity with the struggle of the Ghanaian people to stop the privatization of their water services. World Bank policies require the Government of Ghana to privatize water in order to gain access to external assistance and soft loans. Five multinational corporations have bid for the urban water service in Accra, most of them with annual sales larger than the GDP of Ghana, and all of them with proven records of socially irresponsible practices”.

Express your solidarity! Show your support for the struggle to stop the worldwide attempt to commodity water for the profit and benefit of a few. Forward this message to others. To take an action kindly contact the Ghana National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water (National CAP of Water) at: Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) P.O. Box 19452 Accra North, Ghana Email: isodec@ghana.com or ramenga@isodec.org.gh Fax: 233/21 311687; Tel: 233/21 30606 or water aid Ghana. You may also provide funding for the African Women’s Development Fund to allocate the fund for the provision of water to rural women and their communities. Every individual can make a difference to ensure that women and poor communities at least have the basic life need – to have access to clean and safe water. Be involved find out what you can do.
Do your movement; make a better world.

With materials from ISODEC and water aid