GBC organises stakeholders meeting on cultural practices and human rights

The Ghana Baptist Convention(GBC) at the weekend organised a stakeholders meeting on cultural practices and human rights at Torkor in the Ketu South District of the Volta Region.

The meeting follows an inauguration of a women rights advocacy group in three Senior High Schools in the Ketu Municipality, Ketu South and North Tong Districts, which was aimed at equipping students with advocacy skills against discriminatory practices.

It was also to create awareness of infringements of women rights such as Trokosi and Female Genital Mutilation which was mostly practice in the Southern part of the Volta Region.

Mr. Daniel Mensah, Senior Principal Investigator of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice spoke on the topic: “Cultural practices and human rights, the law revisited,” on the theme: “The challenges: cultural practices and human rights.”

He said the concept, protection and enforcement of human rights and the practice of some cultural practices were on the collision path despite efforts to overcome these challenges.

Mr. Mensah noted that some cultural practices which were found harmful were dealt with by the Criminal Code, the 1992 Constitution and the Children Act.

He cited Female Genital Mutilation as one of the practices which was dealt by Act 484, 1994 section 69A that says “whoever excises or otherwise mutilates the whole or any part of the labia and the clitoris of another person commits an offense”.

He said the practices of widow rites in relation with bereaved spouses were also prescribed by the (criminal code, 1960) Act 29. Section 88(A) (i) which states that: “Whoever compels a bereaved spouse or relative to undergo any custom or practice that is cruel in nature shall be guilty of misdemeanour.

Mr. Mensah also mention forced marriage, belief in witchcraft, divorce and Trokosi as some of the cultural practices which were also inconsistent with the Criminal Code and Children's Act of the 1992 Constitution.

Mr. Stephen Awudi Gadri, Founder and President of Trokosi Abolition Fellowship International said the right to culture was limited at the point at which it infringes on another person’s rights.

This, he said was in accordance with International law which says “No rights can be used at the expense or destruction of another.”

Mr. Gadri noted that cultural rights do not justify torture, murder, genocide, discrimination on grounds of sex, race, language or religion or violation of any other universal human rights and fundamental freedom established in the international law.

“Any attempts to justify such violations on the basis of culture have no validity under the International law,” he said.

Mr. Gadri observed that universal human rights were intrusive and disruptive to traditional protection of human life, liberty and security which effectively provide protection.

“The traditional culture could be absorbed and apply human rights, and the governing state should be in a better position not only to ratify, but to effectively and fully implemented the international standard.”**