Mrs Halimatu Nuhu, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has appealed to women to avoid relying absolutely on their husbands in the upbringing of the child.

She said it would be useful to acquire some knowledge and skills that could help them support their partners.

Mrs Halimatu said this during an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani.

She said because most women relied on their husbands for the upkeep of the house, “there is always trouble when the man could no longer provide for the house”.

She said “in times of sickness, loss of jobs and death of partners, poverty easily sets in and the family finds itself in trouble because there will not be any one to assist them”.

The regional director said because of the economic hardships, including high school fees, men alone could not take proper care of the family and as such women must support them in the education of their children.

She noted that in households where men are the sole bread winners of the house, the situation also gives them the upper hand to maltreat their wife and the children and sometimes mismanage the affairs of the family.

She said in 2011, out of the total number of 3,266 reported cases to CHRAJ, 920 were children related cases comprising of 554 non maintenance cases, 176 denial of custody cases, 79 deprivation of child education cases, 16 refusal of paternity and paternity dispute cases.

Mrs Halimatu said the unit also recorded 419 non maintenance of spouse cases, 155 spousal battery cases, 42 compensation for divorce cases, 26 non maintenance of pregnancy cases and 14 sexual harassment cases.

She said the unit received 437 tenancy cases, 113 intestate succession cases, 112 denial of shares of property cases, 46 encroachment and 36 destruction of property cases.

Mrs Halimatu appealed to couples not to transfer their anger and economic pressures on their children and learn to respect each other.