Some women condemn indecent dressing among young Ghanaian women

Nkawie-Ashanti, March 25, GNA - Participants at a three-day workshop on "Women mobile outreach programme" at Nkawie-Ashanti, have condemned the increased indecent dressing of some Ghanaian women especially in educational institutions, churches and at other social functions.

They called on Government and other social organizations to institute pragmatic measures to curb the nuisance that was "an affront to the dignity, image, credibility and integrity of Ghanaian womanhood". The about 100 participants mostly women selected from communities in the Atwima-Nwabiagya district included assembly and unit committee members, teachers, religious leaders, traditional rulers, civil servants, artisans and other women organizations.

Organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ghana, under the theme, "Improving Women Access to Justice", the workshop was sponsored by German World Day of Prayer an NGO based in Germany.

Topics discussed included rights of the Ghanaian woman, wills acts, intestate succession law, marriage law, child's right and domestic violence law.

FIDA also offered free legal aid to the participants. The participants attributed the increased social vices among the youth to irresponsible parents and guardians who failed to set their priorities right.

They were not happy about the undue delay in effecting justice at the law courts in cases involving rape and defilement and contended that the delay usually frustrated and discouraged prospective victims from reporting such cases to the appropriate agencies.

Miss Eudora Oppong, Administrator of Kumasi office of FIDA, delivering a paper on "The Rights of the Ghanaian Woman" noted that husbands, who deprived their wives from engaging in any income-generating activity and other economic activities, violate their economic rights.

She said it was the responsibility of an employee to establish day-care centres and other facilities to cater for the babies of employees who were nursing mothers.

Miss Oppong pointed out that, "No woman shall be made to undergo customary practices which are dehumanizing and injurious to her physical and mental well-being".

She explained that children born of Ghanaian mothers to foreign fathers had equal rights to Ghanaian citizenship just as children born of Ghanaian fathers to foreign mothers.

Miss Oppong said a woman had the same personnel right as her husband including the management and disposal of properties. Mr Ernest Opoku, Atwima-Nwabiagya District Co-ordinating Director addressing the closing session of the workshop, observed that the programme had been beneficial not only to the participants but the district.

He called on parents and guardians to instil discipline and moral values in their children and advised spouses to be faithful to each other and cultivate the attitude of patience and tolerance to sustain their marriages. 25 March 07