FoodSPAN urges Gov't to create biofuel policy now
Members of the Food Security Policy Advocacy Network (FoodSPAN) have called on government to develop a comprehensive policy on Biofuel production in light of the World Jatropha Summit to be held in Accra from 28th to 29th May 2009.They said that large scale land acquisition by foreign companies for the production of biofuel threatens the livelihood of local farmers as well as the environment. "We have supplied developed countries with raw materials to the detriment of ourselves," said David Eli, Coordinator for FoodSPAN at a press conference in Accra.Representatives were adamant that their stance was neither anti-biofuel nor anti-investment, but insisted that both investment and Biofuel production must be executed responsibly and ethically."We've seen what mining has done to this country," said Yakubu Iddrisu, Assistant Coordinator, FoodSPAN. "Those companies came in before the government had a clear policy. We can't allow the same to happen with agriculture."They pointed to the fact that a majority of Ghanaians earn their livelihood from agriculture and warned that allowing large multinational companies unrestricted access could undo some of the country's gains in the fight against hunger and poverty, as lands which are currently being used for food production would be converted to use for fuel production.Biofuel companies and supporters argue that the employment created by Biofuel production would offer compensation to displaced farmers and their families, but FoodSPAN committee members remain unconvinced."What good is money when there is no food?" Iddrisu asked. He continued, "We are not self-sufficient in the food sector, and replacing food producing land with fuel producing land only makes the problem worse."FoodSPAN argued that creating a comprehensive national policy on Biofuel production is vital if Ghana is to maintain control of its resources in the face of economically dominant foreign interests.They also believe that relevant government agencies should work with traditional land owners on zoning and mapping lands in order to minimize competition between small scale local farmers and large multinational companies.In addition to the social issues associated with Biofuel production, FoodSPAN committee members also voiced their concerns about Biofuel's impact on the environment, and called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that before projects are approved, there is proper environmental impact assessment."We are not even completely sure of the effects the production would have on the soil," said Anna Antwi, Coordinator for FoodSPAN and Right-to-Food Policy Advisor for ActionAid Ghana.Members are also concerned that land clearing associated with Biofuel production puts at risk certain economically vital species of trees, such as shea nut and dawawa, as well as fuel wood, which are the main sources of income for rural dwellers, particularly women. The committee asked that all stakeholders in Biofuel production, particularly those attending the Jatropha Summit this week, consider the interests of local small scale farmers as well as environmental impacts in their decisions, and urges the government to create a policy which will allow companies to be held accountable if they fail to do so."This issue is just as important as any other development issue," said Ofosuhene Kwabena Okai of Obibimman Foundation. "By creating a policy now the government of Ghana will be better equipped to avoid problems later."
New ECOWAS Standby Force in the offing
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will soon have a standby force of a brigade size, consisting of specially trained and well-equipped units of national defence forces, ready to be deployed at short notice. All the fifteen ECOWAS countries have pledged one battalion each to the proposed force. The ECOWAS Protocol calls for the establishment of such a force based largely on the experiences of Economic Community of West African States Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau. The move is part of the security mechanism that has been created by ECOWAS to manage the conflicts in the sub-region so that the sub-regional organization can achieve economic cooperation and integration which is its main objective. It is envisaged that with the establishment of the Protocol on security mechanism, ECOWAS has, indeed, shown that gone are the days when Africa could look on simply without caring. Today, West Africa has shown that Africa does care for the continent's survival.A Security Expert, Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (Rtd) disclosed this during a recent workshop on "The Media's Role in Conflict Transformation and Peace Building for fifteen West African journalists in Accra. The International Institute for Journalism (IIJ) of InWEnt - Capacity Building International, Germany organised the training course. Brig. Rtd. Agyemfra spoke on the topic, "The Role of ECOMOG in West African Security Strategies: How can public opinion and the media contribute to peace in the region?" He said the main tasks of the force will involve observation and monitoring, peacekeeping, humanitarian intervention, enforcement of sanctions and embargoes, preventive deployment, peace building operations, disarmament and demobilization and policing, including anti-smuggling and anti-criminal activities."The proposed sub-regional force is to embark on periodic training exercises to enhance the cohesion of its troops and compatibility of its equipment. ECOMOG'S soldiers will also undertake training exchange programmes in West African training institutions." He deduced that West Africa stands out as one of the most unstable sub-regions in the world citing conflicts in some countries in the last two decades that have resulted in mass murder, massive cross-border refugees and arms flow, internal displacement and other degrading forms of treatment to the population. Further, he said persistent internal conflicts have impacted negatively on both state and human security."The magnitude of human tragedy in conflict areas, and states plagued with persistent violent and the untold suffering of the population, has not only been a setback for the states concerned, but has undermined sub-regional peace, stability and socio-economic development."According to the security expert, West African leaders have for many years been faced with the challenge devising collective security arrangements to stop the conflicts and coup d'etats, which has thus resulted in ad hoc conflict management interventions.He recalled that the exploits of ECOMOG in these war zones prompted discussions among member states that centered on the need to develop an institutionalized mechanism for conflict management. "Those discussions culminated in the establishment of a security mechanism, namely, The Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-Keeping and Security. The Protocol is the world's first sub-regional security mechanism established to manage sub-regional conflicts." With regards to funding, Brig. Rtd. Agyemfra explained that under the Protocol, funds for the security mechanism are to be raised from ECOWAS annual budget and Community Levy, and is also expected to be provided by the African Union (AU), the United Nations, international organizations, and voluntary contributions and grants from bilateral and multilateral sources. "We should be monitoring events so we can act early but not wait for them to happen before we find ways to act. Until such a time that we can monitor movements in countries, we can't control crime." The aim of the IIJ programme is to strengthen freedom of expression and press freedom in the partner countries of the German Development Cooperation (GDD) and thus improve the conditions for democratization and economic and social development.
Women perform better than men in government
A research has revealed that women in government are more accessible to their constituents than their male counterparts. The research thus recommended the involvement more women in the governance process. A Gender Consultant, Mrs. Dede Bedu-Addo, said it is imperative that Ghana has more women in office since they are seen as responsible, committed, and often perform better than men. Speaking at a media sensitization workshop in Accra, she said that women have patience and are more concerned about people from all walks of life.Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) established to promote effective use of media for the advancement of women organised the training programme for selected journalists from Accra, Volta, Eastern, Central and Western Regions. Mrs Bedu-Addo spoke on "Gender and Governance Issues in Ghana." She noted that Ghanaian women's participation in decision-making lags behind that of men, even though they have made considerable advancements over the past decade.She stated lack of experience, fear of competing, campaigning, and marketing themselves as some of the reasons why many women are still reluctant to stand for office.She regretted that Ghanaian women's presence in Parliament has not increased appreciably over the decade, citing the 2000 parliamentary elections which resulted in 18 women being elected in the 200-seat parliament. "The 2004 elections had 25 women being elected out of 230 parliamentarians. Between 1997 and 2004, there were two women in a cabinet of 19 members. Out of the 10 regional ministers only 2 were women from 1997 to 2000. Between 2000 and 2004, there was no woman regional minister." Mrs. Bedu-Addo further said although the 2008 general elections witnessed a large number of women aspirants who stood for elective positions, they could not get to their final destinations due to the scheming, intrigues and financial constraints that characterise the political terrain."Even where women indicate willingness and self-confidence to stand for public office, their efforts have been thwarted by male-dominated political and administrative structure. Generally, African politics places much emphasis on individual connections and affiliations at the expense of ability and qualification."She emphasized that the media should therefore take up its responsibility as "the fourth arm of government", be at the front line and push for both legislative and constitutional reforms that will give credence to women's participation in politics, without the usual cronyism and nepotism that keeps women out. She argued that just as the media have assisted male politicians to gain popularity, they should do the same for women. "The media should strive to promote gender-equitable governance and elections that will be globally adjudged as free and fair. They must recognize the enormity of their assignment and handle it with dexterity and seriousness of purpose," she added.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Inadequate data on cancer hampers its control
Cancer, an abnormal growth of cell in any part of the body which mostly leads to death constitutes about 12 per cent of all deaths worldwide. In developing countries such as Ghana, cancer is among the three leading causes of death in adults. The major cancers in females in Ghana are cervical and breast cancer, which are found in the age group 35 to 54 years.Others include liver and haematological cancers. In males, prostate cancer, liver cancer and haematological cancers are the top three. Childhood cancers are also on the increase, with lymphomas being most common. Unfortunately, in Ghana, it has been difficult to estimate the prevalence rate of cancers because the Cancer Registry is not functioning as expected.According to Dr. Kofi Nyarko, the Focal Person of the National Cancer Control Programme, attempts have been made to use mortality and morbidity rates to determine cancer prevalence in the country. He said this is essentially limited to the two major teaching hospitals, Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye, which only hold data on cancers diagnosed in the departments and do not have an overall national picture.Dr. Nyarko advocated for a population based cancer registry that would produce a more accurate picture of the cancer burden in Ghana. "What will help to prioritize cancer control is better and reliable data for advocacy, education and policy formulation. This will enable us know who is affected- age and sex distribution, where the patients are coming from, the treatments they are on and the survival rates, etc." He added that it would also help to generate complete, accurate, timely and confidential data on al cancer cases.He disclosed that the National Cancer Registry currently is still rudimentary, with weak human and technical capacity, as well as logistical constraints which hinder its operation. He attributed the increase to mainly epidemiological transition, recent changes in diet, the social environment and the adoption of western lifestyles, although there are other specific causes. Dr. Nyarko emphasized the need for Ghana to have dedicated resources control activities in the country. He was speaking at the inaugural Africa Cancer Information and Advocacy Initiative workshop on Cancer Control Planning. Together with American Cancer Society (ACS) 21 NGOs from five countries convened to increase cancer awareness, early detection and survivor support. It is project that in 2010, cancer will become the world?s leading cause of death, surpassing heart disease. Breast, cervical, liver and prostate as well as HIV/AIDS-related cancers are among the most common in Africa. Additionally, tobacco production and use are becoming more prevalent on the continent. There are few hospitals in Ghana that are dedicated to the management of cancers and are mainly located in Accra and Ashanti Region, with Radiotherapy Centres, pathology department, breast cancer clinic and paps smear facility. With more than 95 years of experience, the ACS aims to use its unique position to be a global leader in cancer control advocacy, capacity building and information sharing. The Africa Initiative is designed to expand evidence, improve planning and promote action for cancer control in five countries, namely Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. The Vice President of Global Strategies, ACS, Ms Johanna Raltson in a presentation on the global cancer burden and the emerging pandemic in Africa, noted that whereas hunger and under nutrition are decreasing (850 million), overweight and obesity is increasing (1 billion). She said that in line with World Health Organization (WHO) priorities Africa must treat what can be treated, prevent what must be prevented and cure what can be cured. "Much can be done to prevent it because most of the countries in Africa are in the first stage of the disease."Dr. George Amofa, Deputy Director General of the Ghana Health Service disclosed that cancer control initiatives in Ghana include breast and cervical screening and also through the re-generative health initiative. "We believe that when we begin a national programme from scratch we will be making headway."
Labour court now operational As workers question Labour Commissions usefulness
The Labour court which was set up within the High Court in October last year is now in full swing.The establishment of the court followed an appeal by the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) to the Chief Justice to designate a few High Courts in the Greater Accra Region to exclusively adjudicate industrial relations disputes emanating from the National Labour Commission (NLC).The GFL and other labour unions were of the opinion that the special labour courts would ensure fair and expeditious settlement of labour grievances to forestall industrial peace and economic development.This is viewed against the weakness of the NLC, which has not been able to assert its powers effectively. On many occasions employers have challenged its ruling at the High Courts, which have overturned the cases. They claimed that because the traditional courts are saddled with high volume of civil suits and criminal cases, there is little attention for industrial and labour dispute settlement; resulting in delays in the resolution of such disputes. .Speaking to Public Agenda in Accra Mr. Abraham Koomson, Secretary-General of GFL commended the Chief Justice for honouring her word, adding that the creation of a labour court will help judges to become familiar with the labour terrain. He stressed that the rationale for the creation of the labour court is not for the court to be considerate but to be able to apply the law adequately. Public Agenda has gathered that no fresh labour cases will be handled at the ?mainstream? court while some people are even trying to transfer old cases to the new labour court. Before the coming into force of the Labour Act 2003, Act 651, the Industrial Relations Act, 299 of 1965 and the Labour Decree of 1967, (NLCD 157) were the laws governing industrial relations in the country, as well as other laws scattered in various pieces of legislation. During this time, industrial relations matters and disputes settlement were the preserve of the Ministry of Labour which did this through its Labour Department headed by the Chief Labour Officer. The process of consultation on the development of a new national labour law started in 1995. The Labour Act 651 (2003) was passed with a mission to develop and sustain a peaceful and harmonious industrial relations environment through the use of effective dispute resolution practices, promotion of co-operation among the labour market players and mutual respect for their rights and responsibilities.
Disability law leaves out autistic children
Autism is a new biological disorder that impacts on development on the brain and renders the victim disabled in three areas. First, the victim unable to understand verbal / non-verbal communication. Secondly, they are unable to socialize and lastly they cannot wait to have their turn.Experts term it ?new disorder? because it is developmental and there is no known cause. Most autistic children are non-verbal. Although autism is said to be always on the increase in Ghana, the disability law passed in June 2006 overlooked autism. Indeed, stakeholders involved in Autism Awareness, Care & Training (AACT) made inputs to the draft disability bill but it was not captured.Speaking to Public Agenda, Mr. Mawusi Adiku, Educational Director at the AACT in Accra regretted that Ghana considers the blind, deaf, mentally retarded and physical disability but ignores others such as autism. ?We want autism to be recognized as a disability which is becoming prevalent than any other childhood disorder,? he stressed. He disclosed that women mostly bear the brunt of the victim?s condition. He said that some marriages even break up as men often accuse the women for the condition. He explained that the first symptom is for a mother to observe if a baby focuses on her whenever she is sighted. He said that most of them cry persistently for no apparent reason, weep and burst out laughter, and affects more boys than girls. ?Others too are sound sensitive, tend to be deaf and have no sense of danger. Some will not like to be hugged or touched, are repetitive in choice of food, clothes etc., flap their hands and walk on their toes.?He regretted that parents often after notice of autism in their wards send them to pediatrician who sometimes claims that the child might not be an early developer so they should go back and it will be well. He noted Ghanaians also attribute such disorders to superstitious beliefs and sometimes send such children to ?prayer camps to exorcise the autism spirit in them. Mr. Adiku cautioned that late diagnosis hinders early intervention. He said the condition in the victim ranges from mild to severe because it is developmental. ?In relation to mild victim will be able to talk and symptoms can only be realized in social behavior. The median group has all the three features and consequently has behaviourial problems and throws tantrums.?He said it is not advisable to punish children if he/she exhibits these symptoms. Although not curable, Mr. Adiku said it is treatable and coupled with good and early intervention some of the disorders can be changed. In Ghana, and other developing countries, autism diagnosis is rare. Parents of children with autism are left to seek other explanations for their children?s behaviour. Mrs. Serwah Quaynor, a mother of a child with autism, made it a personal commitment to help children with autism. In search of services to help her child, and with no luck, decided to fulfill her commitment to her son and to autism by founding an organization in 1998. Known as Autism Awareness Care & Training (AACT) it was formed to help children with autism and their families in Ghana to better understand the disorder and to feel that there is a safe place to go for support and help. Today the organization not only supports the parents and families but it also has become a centre for these children to receive quality education. Here they are trained in life-skills, sensory integration therapy, train caregivers, parents, family members, attendants and professionals and provide respite care for families among others. On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 62/139, tabled by the State of Qatar, which declares April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) in perpetuity. This UN resolution is one of only three official disease-specific United Nations Days and will bring the world?s attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions. The World Autism Awareness Day resolution encourages all Member States to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout society and to encourage early diagnosis and early intervention. It further expresses concern at the prevalence and high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world and the consequent developmental challenges. Additionally, WAAD?celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is?a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe. Last Thursday, 2nd April 2009 was World Autism Awareness. The United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon in a special message to mark WAAD said, ?On World Autism Awareness Day, let us capture and share this spirit, and let us intensify global efforts to ensure that children and persons with autism everywhere can benefit from the supportive environment they need to reach their full potential and contribute to society.?He noted by designating 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day, the United Nations General Assembly has helped to galvanize international efforts to promote greater understanding about autism. He had an advice to kids who have some form of disability, ?Don?t let it stop you. Use it as your strength; don?t use it as your weakness. One red light can lead to a whole bunch of green lights, with a few orange lights thrown in. And the red lights are just a bit of a test. There are definitely more green and orange?.
AWDF initiative supports women's reproductive health
Advocates of women's reproductive health rights are encouraging the use of hygienic sanitary towels which are not harmful to the health of women. They are worried that current methods by some women, who tend to use other materials, could be harmful to their health. Several reports on adolescents' sexual reproductive health in Ghana have revealed that female adolescents are exposed to greater reproductive health risks than male adolescents.This is because women are physiologically more vulnerable than men to infection.Through an initiative by the African Women Development Fund (AWDF), selected women's reproductive health organizations are benefiting from personal care products, credit to support from Procter and Gamble, a manufacturer of a broad range of consumer products worldwide under brands such as pampers and always sanitary pads, based in Switzerland. The African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) is an Africa wide grant-making foundation for African Women. The vision of the AWDF is for African women to live in a world in which there is social justice, equality and respect for women?s human rights.During a presentation of sanitary pads to the Nana Yaa Memorial Trust Reproductive Health Centre at Ogbojo near Madina, Mrs. Abigail Burgesson, Special Programmes Manager of the AWDF regretted that some girls stay out of school during their menstruation because they are not able to afford and access hygienic sanitary towels. She noted that when young girls feel comfortable, they can move ahead and contribute to national development. "At AWDF we recognize the importance of women's health and reproductive rights. It is our hope that this donation will go some way to ensure proper health conditions and personal hygiene of women and girls." Ogbojo Presbyterian Basic School is among the beneficiaries of the presentation by AWDF. The Nana Yaa Memorial Trust Reproductive Health Centre aims at helping girls and women to have greater awareness of their reproductive health status and thereby help reduce unacceptable high maternal mortality in Ghana. The centre was established in 1998 in memory of 28 year old Nana Yaa Kyeraa Darkwah Dako who died during child birth. It offers free services to the surrounding communities. Mrs. Gladys Okwaning (Col. Lt. Rtd.) of the trust recounted that today there is greater awareness of maternal deaths and a greater commitment by government to improve it, citing the free maternal care policy initiated by the previous administration. "We believe we have made progress. From January 2006 to March 2009 a total number of 1649 visited the centre, 75 were pregnant women, 1388 females and 261 males, as well as 61 referrals to major health facilities." She announced plans by the trust to establish an HIV/AIDS counseling and testing and family planning unit at the centre and also extend its services to Kumasi. The land where the centre is situated was donated by the Chief of Ogbojo and an amount of $8,000 grant from AWDF, supported the purchase of a shipping container, which serves as offices, consulting and treatment room for patients to the Centre. Founder of the trust, Mrs. Felicia Darkwah explained that the major goal is to collaborate with the government and other stakeholders to reduce the high maternal mortality death rate in Ghana.In this regard, the trust has established an association for good quality maternity services.
New project launched to equip rural youth with ICT skills
Ghanaian youth have been advised to desist from using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for fraudulent purposes. They have been encouraged to equip themselves with skills in ICT to improve the quality of their lives so that they can become role models for others to aspire higher. Minister of Communications, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, gave the advice at the launch of a project in Accra dubbed 'ICIVISION', an initiative of Virtue World Foundation aimed at establishing and teaching ICT in rural and deprived areas in Ghana. He cautioned that government will soon come out with a framework for cyber security to protect the internet and also build confidence in its use for education, commerce, governance and health. Speaking on the theme, "Defining African Youth Role in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Through ICT", Mr. Iddrisu noted that the youth of every nation represent at any moment, the stock of human capital upon which the survival and growth of the nation depends. "For us in the developing world, the youth must be appreciated as partners in the socio-economic development agenda of every government and therefore to be sufficiently empowered to play their roles in the society." He deduced that for a very long while, the country has been bedeviled with youth unemployment with attendant declining self-confidence in the abilities of the youth to contribute to the country's development. Therefore, he said that if Ghana is to achieve the MDGs within the stipulated time frame, 2015, then government and all stakeholders should give special attention to skills training and other empowering support scheme to bring out the best in our youth. Mr. Iddrisu advocated right opportunities and tools for the youth to empower them to contribute to the attainment of the MDGs. "I can assure you that through ICT, the youth can be sufficiently empowered, and be independent and responsible to accept any challenge that they would encounter in life."The Minister invited youth organizations such as Virtue World Foundation (VWF) to play active roles in the design and implementation of national action plans to ensure that the youth play active role in the progress of their communities. VWF is a network organization of tertiary students in community development, committed to empowering the marginalized in society through education and community outreach programmes. William Andam, Executive Director VWF, stressed that Africa and for that matter Ghana cannot be left out in the current ICT age.He explained that ICIVISION will engage computer science students during vacations to impart knowledge in ICT to those in deprived areas. He therefore appealed to all and sundry who have the interest of the youth at heart, to assist them financially so they can sustain the project.
French Embassy supports OrphanAid Africa
OrphanAid Africa has within the framework of the Care Reform Initiative (CRI) closed its children's home / orphanage at Ayenyah, near Dodowa in the Dangme West district. Majority of the children who were at the orphanage have been resettled with their relatives in the various regions. However, for those with special needs that could not go back to their homes, OrphanAid has established specialized facilities with foster parents available to care for these children in safe and permanent family homes. The CRI is an initiative by the Department of Social Welfare that seeks to de-emphasize over reliance of care systems for children based on institutions and move towards a range of integrated family and community based care services for such children without appropriate parental care.The French Embassy in Ghana has thus through its government's small grant scheme, the Fund for Social Development (FSD), presented an amount of GH?37, 498 to OrphanAid to be used to support the implementation of the CRI. Consequently, OrphanAid's vacant building has been handed over to the office of Ghana Education Service in the district for use as school. Research has shown that orphaned and vulnerable children without parental care have long trail of painful experiences characterized by economic hardship, lack of attention and affection and psychological distress. Other problems include loss of inheritance, increased of risk abuse, malnutrition and illness, stigma, discrimination and isolation and drug use and crime. Speaking at the commissioning of the OrphanAid's Foster Family Village at Ayenyah, near Dodowa, the French Ambassador Mr. Francis Hurtut regretted that too often adults use children for inappropriate tasks such as workers and soldiers some do not go to school; in other words they are not allowed to live their lives as children.He said some of them are abandoned by their families who cannot take good care of them, because of insufficient resources and bad living conditions and are then send to an orphanage."We are thinking that children who still have a living family, should better live with their parents, grandmother or uncle instead of any other solutions. Orphan Aid is systematically looking for the family of lost children and is giving them the capability to educate their children, by delivering training, micro-credit or tools. I am sure that this method will be successful and I hope other organizations will also use it."The Founder of OrphanAid Africa, Ms Lisa Lovatt-Smith, was grateful to the Ambassador and his team for the support saying that it will go a long way to support the 40 different families caring for de-institutionalized children rescued from former orphanages. "Children need to grow up in families not orphanages, as only a family can ensure their proper transition into society," she stated. She added that her organization believes in the rights of families and the right of the child to grow up in a family and that OrphanAid approach was based on strengthening families to care for their own children, and that the money would be used to provide furniture, fittings and start up grants for families of these children.
POLICE PLAY HIDE & SEEK WITH WOMEN ...Over Prof. Mills' failed 40% promise
What was expected to be a peaceful demonstration by women's groups in protest at the apparent failure of President John Evans Atta Mills to honour his campaign promise to allot 40 percent of public appointments to women failed to take off. Public Agenda has gathered that the demonstration was aborted due to intense lobbying behind the scene to prevent what would have been a major test of the NDC government's tolerance level , five months into its four-year tenure. The political lobbying aside, the Accra Regional Police claimed it could not prepare adequately to be able to provide needed security for the unarmed women. Meanwhile as the women were being dissuaded from embarking on the demonstration about 200 police men and women had positioned themselves at the Castle ready to combat any offensive move of the women.This paper learnt that the new Regional Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Attinga, had requested that since she only assumed office on 27th May 2009, she was not aware of the letter from WiLDAF presented on 14th May 2009 and could not have ample time to prepare. Consequently, at a meeting between the police and WiLDAF, it was agreed that the march be postponed to a later date. However, a four member delegation was allowed to the Castle to present their petition to the Attorney General who received it on behalf of the president. In attendance were all female ministers.Whether by design or coincidence, Prof. Mills was on an official tour of the north and was not available to receive the petition in person. Nonetheless the women said they were just happy to deliver the petition at the Castle, hoping it would reach the President.Far from the political meanings some people were reading into the demonstration, the women said their action was meant to encourage President John Evans Atta Mills to use his powers to address the apparent neglect of women in his administration, since they cannot see that emerging so far. The statistics made available by WILDAF indicate that so far that only 15 (20%) out of 75 ministers are women, three out of 25 members of the Council of State, one woman on the Police Council and none on the Economic Advisory Council. It would be recalled that the manifestoes of the various political parties during last year's electioneering campaign, contained different sections on gender and women empowerment. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) specifically targeted 40% of females in public position, New Patriotic Party (NPP) promised an increase of women in position substantially and Convention People?s Party (CPP) desired to improve women empowerment and gender equality. Whereas the NDC gave a specific 40 percent target, the NPP, CPP and PNC were not blunt on the percentage. Most of the women said they hoped that more women would be found up there when the appointments began, especially with the initial nominations of Attorney General, Acting Inspector General of Police and Chief Justice from the previous administration. With high hopes, the organizers said they congratulated the NDC government for giving women such key positions. But with almost all public office appointments, including board members gone, the women?s groups say they have been disappointed by President Mills and his advisers."At the Metropolitan, Municipal and District level we thought we would get 40% because that where governance actually takes place. But out of the 170 appointments only 11 are women, representing 6.47%. Three were rejected, leaving eight with one pending in Shama. Obviously we are not getting there," said Mrs. Bernice Sam, National Programme Coordinator of WiLDAF-Ghana.Ghana is not faring better either regarding female representation in Parliament. Information provided by National Parliaments to the Inter-Parliamentary Union as at 31st May 2008 compares data from 188 countries put in perking order taking into account the number of seats in the parliament; the number occupied by women and expressed in percentages. Rwanda tops the list with 48.8% of the parliament constituting women followed by Sweden 47%, then Cuba 43.2%. Ghana comes a distant 99th with 10.9% of our parliament made up of women. According to Mrs. Sam, President Mills assured them that he would indeed honour his commitment in the NDC manifesto; during a visit they paid him at the castle to congratulate him on his victory. Further, she said the president during his state of the nation address stated that the NDC was gender sensitive and would revise and adopt its policy on affirmative action and present it to parliament for action. She dismissed claims that the march was a political gimmick, saying that people were entitled to their views an emphasized that WiLDAF was a non-partisan NGO and presented the same petition to all parties last year at different forums. "It just happened that one has won so irrespective of who is in power, once you have made pronouncements in your manifesto nationally and internationally, we will hold you accountable." Mrs. Sam noted that democracy involves issues of participation, transparency and accountability. She cautioned that "As women of Ghana if we don't consistently remind the government in power that they just can't make promises we will have ourselves to blame." Some gender rights advocates say that if Ghana should implement the quota system by ensuring that women are represented on the boards of educational institutions, ministries, department and agencies they would definitely have the chance.According to the gender activists, there is ample opportunity to ensure representation of women through several national and international conventions such as CEDAW and Beijing Platform. They believe that if Ghana has signed onto all these protocols then it should have the political will to implement them.
Cancer, an abnormal growth of cell in any part of the body which mostly leads to death constitutes about 12 per cent of all deaths worldwide. In developing countries such as Ghana, cancer is among the three leading causes of death in adults. The major cancers in females in Ghana are cervical and breast cancer, which are found in the age group 35 to 54 years.Others include liver and haematological cancers. In males, prostate cancer, liver cancer and haematological cancers are the top three. Childhood cancers are also on the increase, with lymphomas being most common. Unfortunately, in Ghana, it has been difficult to estimate the prevalence rate of cancers because the Cancer Registry is not functioning as expected.According to Dr. Kofi Nyarko, the Focal Person of the National Cancer Control Programme, attempts have been made to use mortality and morbidity rates to determine cancer prevalence in the country. He said this is essentially limited to the two major teaching hospitals, Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye, which only hold data on cancers diagnosed in the departments and do not have an overall national picture.Dr. Nyarko advocated for a population based cancer registry that would produce a more accurate picture of the cancer burden in Ghana. "What will help to prioritize cancer control is better and reliable data for advocacy, education and policy formulation. This will enable us know who is affected- age and sex distribution, where the patients are coming from, the treatments they are on and the survival rates, etc." He added that it would also help to generate complete, accurate, timely and confidential data on al cancer cases.He disclosed that the National Cancer Registry currently is still rudimentary, with weak human and technical capacity, as well as logistical constraints which hinder its operation. He attributed the increase to mainly epidemiological transition, recent changes in diet, the social environment and the adoption of western lifestyles, although there are other specific causes. Dr. Nyarko emphasized the need for Ghana to have dedicated resources control activities in the country. He was speaking at the inaugural Africa Cancer Information and Advocacy Initiative workshop on Cancer Control Planning. Together with American Cancer Society (ACS) 21 NGOs from five countries convened to increase cancer awareness, early detection and survivor support. It is project that in 2010, cancer will become the world?s leading cause of death, surpassing heart disease. Breast, cervical, liver and prostate as well as HIV/AIDS-related cancers are among the most common in Africa. Additionally, tobacco production and use are becoming more prevalent on the continent. There are few hospitals in Ghana that are dedicated to the management of cancers and are mainly located in Accra and Ashanti Region, with Radiotherapy Centres, pathology department, breast cancer clinic and paps smear facility. With more than 95 years of experience, the ACS aims to use its unique position to be a global leader in cancer control advocacy, capacity building and information sharing. The Africa Initiative is designed to expand evidence, improve planning and promote action for cancer control in five countries, namely Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. The Vice President of Global Strategies, ACS, Ms Johanna Raltson in a presentation on the global cancer burden and the emerging pandemic in Africa, noted that whereas hunger and under nutrition are decreasing (850 million), overweight and obesity is increasing (1 billion). She said that in line with World Health Organization (WHO) priorities Africa must treat what can be treated, prevent what must be prevented and cure what can be cured. "Much can be done to prevent it because most of the countries in Africa are in the first stage of the disease."Dr. George Amofa, Deputy Director General of the Ghana Health Service disclosed that cancer control initiatives in Ghana include breast and cervical screening and also through the re-generative health initiative. "We believe that when we begin a national programme from scratch we will be making headway."
Labour court now operational As workers question Labour Commissions usefulness
The Labour court which was set up within the High Court in October last year is now in full swing.The establishment of the court followed an appeal by the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) to the Chief Justice to designate a few High Courts in the Greater Accra Region to exclusively adjudicate industrial relations disputes emanating from the National Labour Commission (NLC).The GFL and other labour unions were of the opinion that the special labour courts would ensure fair and expeditious settlement of labour grievances to forestall industrial peace and economic development.This is viewed against the weakness of the NLC, which has not been able to assert its powers effectively. On many occasions employers have challenged its ruling at the High Courts, which have overturned the cases. They claimed that because the traditional courts are saddled with high volume of civil suits and criminal cases, there is little attention for industrial and labour dispute settlement; resulting in delays in the resolution of such disputes. .Speaking to Public Agenda in Accra Mr. Abraham Koomson, Secretary-General of GFL commended the Chief Justice for honouring her word, adding that the creation of a labour court will help judges to become familiar with the labour terrain. He stressed that the rationale for the creation of the labour court is not for the court to be considerate but to be able to apply the law adequately. Public Agenda has gathered that no fresh labour cases will be handled at the ?mainstream? court while some people are even trying to transfer old cases to the new labour court. Before the coming into force of the Labour Act 2003, Act 651, the Industrial Relations Act, 299 of 1965 and the Labour Decree of 1967, (NLCD 157) were the laws governing industrial relations in the country, as well as other laws scattered in various pieces of legislation. During this time, industrial relations matters and disputes settlement were the preserve of the Ministry of Labour which did this through its Labour Department headed by the Chief Labour Officer. The process of consultation on the development of a new national labour law started in 1995. The Labour Act 651 (2003) was passed with a mission to develop and sustain a peaceful and harmonious industrial relations environment through the use of effective dispute resolution practices, promotion of co-operation among the labour market players and mutual respect for their rights and responsibilities.
Disability law leaves out autistic children
Autism is a new biological disorder that impacts on development on the brain and renders the victim disabled in three areas. First, the victim unable to understand verbal / non-verbal communication. Secondly, they are unable to socialize and lastly they cannot wait to have their turn.Experts term it ?new disorder? because it is developmental and there is no known cause. Most autistic children are non-verbal. Although autism is said to be always on the increase in Ghana, the disability law passed in June 2006 overlooked autism. Indeed, stakeholders involved in Autism Awareness, Care & Training (AACT) made inputs to the draft disability bill but it was not captured.Speaking to Public Agenda, Mr. Mawusi Adiku, Educational Director at the AACT in Accra regretted that Ghana considers the blind, deaf, mentally retarded and physical disability but ignores others such as autism. ?We want autism to be recognized as a disability which is becoming prevalent than any other childhood disorder,? he stressed. He disclosed that women mostly bear the brunt of the victim?s condition. He said that some marriages even break up as men often accuse the women for the condition. He explained that the first symptom is for a mother to observe if a baby focuses on her whenever she is sighted. He said that most of them cry persistently for no apparent reason, weep and burst out laughter, and affects more boys than girls. ?Others too are sound sensitive, tend to be deaf and have no sense of danger. Some will not like to be hugged or touched, are repetitive in choice of food, clothes etc., flap their hands and walk on their toes.?He regretted that parents often after notice of autism in their wards send them to pediatrician who sometimes claims that the child might not be an early developer so they should go back and it will be well. He noted Ghanaians also attribute such disorders to superstitious beliefs and sometimes send such children to ?prayer camps to exorcise the autism spirit in them. Mr. Adiku cautioned that late diagnosis hinders early intervention. He said the condition in the victim ranges from mild to severe because it is developmental. ?In relation to mild victim will be able to talk and symptoms can only be realized in social behavior. The median group has all the three features and consequently has behaviourial problems and throws tantrums.?He said it is not advisable to punish children if he/she exhibits these symptoms. Although not curable, Mr. Adiku said it is treatable and coupled with good and early intervention some of the disorders can be changed. In Ghana, and other developing countries, autism diagnosis is rare. Parents of children with autism are left to seek other explanations for their children?s behaviour. Mrs. Serwah Quaynor, a mother of a child with autism, made it a personal commitment to help children with autism. In search of services to help her child, and with no luck, decided to fulfill her commitment to her son and to autism by founding an organization in 1998. Known as Autism Awareness Care & Training (AACT) it was formed to help children with autism and their families in Ghana to better understand the disorder and to feel that there is a safe place to go for support and help. Today the organization not only supports the parents and families but it also has become a centre for these children to receive quality education. Here they are trained in life-skills, sensory integration therapy, train caregivers, parents, family members, attendants and professionals and provide respite care for families among others. On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 62/139, tabled by the State of Qatar, which declares April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) in perpetuity. This UN resolution is one of only three official disease-specific United Nations Days and will bring the world?s attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions. The World Autism Awareness Day resolution encourages all Member States to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout society and to encourage early diagnosis and early intervention. It further expresses concern at the prevalence and high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world and the consequent developmental challenges. Additionally, WAAD?celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is?a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe. Last Thursday, 2nd April 2009 was World Autism Awareness. The United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon in a special message to mark WAAD said, ?On World Autism Awareness Day, let us capture and share this spirit, and let us intensify global efforts to ensure that children and persons with autism everywhere can benefit from the supportive environment they need to reach their full potential and contribute to society.?He noted by designating 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day, the United Nations General Assembly has helped to galvanize international efforts to promote greater understanding about autism. He had an advice to kids who have some form of disability, ?Don?t let it stop you. Use it as your strength; don?t use it as your weakness. One red light can lead to a whole bunch of green lights, with a few orange lights thrown in. And the red lights are just a bit of a test. There are definitely more green and orange?.
AWDF initiative supports women's reproductive health
Advocates of women's reproductive health rights are encouraging the use of hygienic sanitary towels which are not harmful to the health of women. They are worried that current methods by some women, who tend to use other materials, could be harmful to their health. Several reports on adolescents' sexual reproductive health in Ghana have revealed that female adolescents are exposed to greater reproductive health risks than male adolescents.This is because women are physiologically more vulnerable than men to infection.Through an initiative by the African Women Development Fund (AWDF), selected women's reproductive health organizations are benefiting from personal care products, credit to support from Procter and Gamble, a manufacturer of a broad range of consumer products worldwide under brands such as pampers and always sanitary pads, based in Switzerland. The African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) is an Africa wide grant-making foundation for African Women. The vision of the AWDF is for African women to live in a world in which there is social justice, equality and respect for women?s human rights.During a presentation of sanitary pads to the Nana Yaa Memorial Trust Reproductive Health Centre at Ogbojo near Madina, Mrs. Abigail Burgesson, Special Programmes Manager of the AWDF regretted that some girls stay out of school during their menstruation because they are not able to afford and access hygienic sanitary towels. She noted that when young girls feel comfortable, they can move ahead and contribute to national development. "At AWDF we recognize the importance of women's health and reproductive rights. It is our hope that this donation will go some way to ensure proper health conditions and personal hygiene of women and girls." Ogbojo Presbyterian Basic School is among the beneficiaries of the presentation by AWDF. The Nana Yaa Memorial Trust Reproductive Health Centre aims at helping girls and women to have greater awareness of their reproductive health status and thereby help reduce unacceptable high maternal mortality in Ghana. The centre was established in 1998 in memory of 28 year old Nana Yaa Kyeraa Darkwah Dako who died during child birth. It offers free services to the surrounding communities. Mrs. Gladys Okwaning (Col. Lt. Rtd.) of the trust recounted that today there is greater awareness of maternal deaths and a greater commitment by government to improve it, citing the free maternal care policy initiated by the previous administration. "We believe we have made progress. From January 2006 to March 2009 a total number of 1649 visited the centre, 75 were pregnant women, 1388 females and 261 males, as well as 61 referrals to major health facilities." She announced plans by the trust to establish an HIV/AIDS counseling and testing and family planning unit at the centre and also extend its services to Kumasi. The land where the centre is situated was donated by the Chief of Ogbojo and an amount of $8,000 grant from AWDF, supported the purchase of a shipping container, which serves as offices, consulting and treatment room for patients to the Centre. Founder of the trust, Mrs. Felicia Darkwah explained that the major goal is to collaborate with the government and other stakeholders to reduce the high maternal mortality death rate in Ghana.In this regard, the trust has established an association for good quality maternity services.
New project launched to equip rural youth with ICT skills
Ghanaian youth have been advised to desist from using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for fraudulent purposes. They have been encouraged to equip themselves with skills in ICT to improve the quality of their lives so that they can become role models for others to aspire higher. Minister of Communications, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, gave the advice at the launch of a project in Accra dubbed 'ICIVISION', an initiative of Virtue World Foundation aimed at establishing and teaching ICT in rural and deprived areas in Ghana. He cautioned that government will soon come out with a framework for cyber security to protect the internet and also build confidence in its use for education, commerce, governance and health. Speaking on the theme, "Defining African Youth Role in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Through ICT", Mr. Iddrisu noted that the youth of every nation represent at any moment, the stock of human capital upon which the survival and growth of the nation depends. "For us in the developing world, the youth must be appreciated as partners in the socio-economic development agenda of every government and therefore to be sufficiently empowered to play their roles in the society." He deduced that for a very long while, the country has been bedeviled with youth unemployment with attendant declining self-confidence in the abilities of the youth to contribute to the country's development. Therefore, he said that if Ghana is to achieve the MDGs within the stipulated time frame, 2015, then government and all stakeholders should give special attention to skills training and other empowering support scheme to bring out the best in our youth. Mr. Iddrisu advocated right opportunities and tools for the youth to empower them to contribute to the attainment of the MDGs. "I can assure you that through ICT, the youth can be sufficiently empowered, and be independent and responsible to accept any challenge that they would encounter in life."The Minister invited youth organizations such as Virtue World Foundation (VWF) to play active roles in the design and implementation of national action plans to ensure that the youth play active role in the progress of their communities. VWF is a network organization of tertiary students in community development, committed to empowering the marginalized in society through education and community outreach programmes. William Andam, Executive Director VWF, stressed that Africa and for that matter Ghana cannot be left out in the current ICT age.He explained that ICIVISION will engage computer science students during vacations to impart knowledge in ICT to those in deprived areas. He therefore appealed to all and sundry who have the interest of the youth at heart, to assist them financially so they can sustain the project.
French Embassy supports OrphanAid Africa
OrphanAid Africa has within the framework of the Care Reform Initiative (CRI) closed its children's home / orphanage at Ayenyah, near Dodowa in the Dangme West district. Majority of the children who were at the orphanage have been resettled with their relatives in the various regions. However, for those with special needs that could not go back to their homes, OrphanAid has established specialized facilities with foster parents available to care for these children in safe and permanent family homes. The CRI is an initiative by the Department of Social Welfare that seeks to de-emphasize over reliance of care systems for children based on institutions and move towards a range of integrated family and community based care services for such children without appropriate parental care.The French Embassy in Ghana has thus through its government's small grant scheme, the Fund for Social Development (FSD), presented an amount of GH?37, 498 to OrphanAid to be used to support the implementation of the CRI. Consequently, OrphanAid's vacant building has been handed over to the office of Ghana Education Service in the district for use as school. Research has shown that orphaned and vulnerable children without parental care have long trail of painful experiences characterized by economic hardship, lack of attention and affection and psychological distress. Other problems include loss of inheritance, increased of risk abuse, malnutrition and illness, stigma, discrimination and isolation and drug use and crime. Speaking at the commissioning of the OrphanAid's Foster Family Village at Ayenyah, near Dodowa, the French Ambassador Mr. Francis Hurtut regretted that too often adults use children for inappropriate tasks such as workers and soldiers some do not go to school; in other words they are not allowed to live their lives as children.He said some of them are abandoned by their families who cannot take good care of them, because of insufficient resources and bad living conditions and are then send to an orphanage."We are thinking that children who still have a living family, should better live with their parents, grandmother or uncle instead of any other solutions. Orphan Aid is systematically looking for the family of lost children and is giving them the capability to educate their children, by delivering training, micro-credit or tools. I am sure that this method will be successful and I hope other organizations will also use it."The Founder of OrphanAid Africa, Ms Lisa Lovatt-Smith, was grateful to the Ambassador and his team for the support saying that it will go a long way to support the 40 different families caring for de-institutionalized children rescued from former orphanages. "Children need to grow up in families not orphanages, as only a family can ensure their proper transition into society," she stated. She added that her organization believes in the rights of families and the right of the child to grow up in a family and that OrphanAid approach was based on strengthening families to care for their own children, and that the money would be used to provide furniture, fittings and start up grants for families of these children.
POLICE PLAY HIDE & SEEK WITH WOMEN ...Over Prof. Mills' failed 40% promise
What was expected to be a peaceful demonstration by women's groups in protest at the apparent failure of President John Evans Atta Mills to honour his campaign promise to allot 40 percent of public appointments to women failed to take off. Public Agenda has gathered that the demonstration was aborted due to intense lobbying behind the scene to prevent what would have been a major test of the NDC government's tolerance level , five months into its four-year tenure. The political lobbying aside, the Accra Regional Police claimed it could not prepare adequately to be able to provide needed security for the unarmed women. Meanwhile as the women were being dissuaded from embarking on the demonstration about 200 police men and women had positioned themselves at the Castle ready to combat any offensive move of the women.This paper learnt that the new Regional Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Attinga, had requested that since she only assumed office on 27th May 2009, she was not aware of the letter from WiLDAF presented on 14th May 2009 and could not have ample time to prepare. Consequently, at a meeting between the police and WiLDAF, it was agreed that the march be postponed to a later date. However, a four member delegation was allowed to the Castle to present their petition to the Attorney General who received it on behalf of the president. In attendance were all female ministers.Whether by design or coincidence, Prof. Mills was on an official tour of the north and was not available to receive the petition in person. Nonetheless the women said they were just happy to deliver the petition at the Castle, hoping it would reach the President.Far from the political meanings some people were reading into the demonstration, the women said their action was meant to encourage President John Evans Atta Mills to use his powers to address the apparent neglect of women in his administration, since they cannot see that emerging so far. The statistics made available by WILDAF indicate that so far that only 15 (20%) out of 75 ministers are women, three out of 25 members of the Council of State, one woman on the Police Council and none on the Economic Advisory Council. It would be recalled that the manifestoes of the various political parties during last year's electioneering campaign, contained different sections on gender and women empowerment. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) specifically targeted 40% of females in public position, New Patriotic Party (NPP) promised an increase of women in position substantially and Convention People?s Party (CPP) desired to improve women empowerment and gender equality. Whereas the NDC gave a specific 40 percent target, the NPP, CPP and PNC were not blunt on the percentage. Most of the women said they hoped that more women would be found up there when the appointments began, especially with the initial nominations of Attorney General, Acting Inspector General of Police and Chief Justice from the previous administration. With high hopes, the organizers said they congratulated the NDC government for giving women such key positions. But with almost all public office appointments, including board members gone, the women?s groups say they have been disappointed by President Mills and his advisers."At the Metropolitan, Municipal and District level we thought we would get 40% because that where governance actually takes place. But out of the 170 appointments only 11 are women, representing 6.47%. Three were rejected, leaving eight with one pending in Shama. Obviously we are not getting there," said Mrs. Bernice Sam, National Programme Coordinator of WiLDAF-Ghana.Ghana is not faring better either regarding female representation in Parliament. Information provided by National Parliaments to the Inter-Parliamentary Union as at 31st May 2008 compares data from 188 countries put in perking order taking into account the number of seats in the parliament; the number occupied by women and expressed in percentages. Rwanda tops the list with 48.8% of the parliament constituting women followed by Sweden 47%, then Cuba 43.2%. Ghana comes a distant 99th with 10.9% of our parliament made up of women. According to Mrs. Sam, President Mills assured them that he would indeed honour his commitment in the NDC manifesto; during a visit they paid him at the castle to congratulate him on his victory. Further, she said the president during his state of the nation address stated that the NDC was gender sensitive and would revise and adopt its policy on affirmative action and present it to parliament for action. She dismissed claims that the march was a political gimmick, saying that people were entitled to their views an emphasized that WiLDAF was a non-partisan NGO and presented the same petition to all parties last year at different forums. "It just happened that one has won so irrespective of who is in power, once you have made pronouncements in your manifesto nationally and internationally, we will hold you accountable." Mrs. Sam noted that democracy involves issues of participation, transparency and accountability. She cautioned that "As women of Ghana if we don't consistently remind the government in power that they just can't make promises we will have ourselves to blame." Some gender rights advocates say that if Ghana should implement the quota system by ensuring that women are represented on the boards of educational institutions, ministries, department and agencies they would definitely have the chance.According to the gender activists, there is ample opportunity to ensure representation of women through several national and international conventions such as CEDAW and Beijing Platform. They believe that if Ghana has signed onto all these protocols then it should have the political will to implement them.
Women lose their farms to biofuel production
Ghanaian small scale farmers, particularly women, are facing displacement from their farm lands. In recent times, the northern parts of Ghana are said to be witnessing an influx of foreign companies engaged in jatropha and sugar-cane plantation for biofuel production. Regrettably, some of these companies that are investing in biofuel production acquire large track of land but only pay the farmers for the portion of the land they utilize, in spite of an existing contract. Current trends in the biofuel production, with major policy thrust globally points to many motivations. Some analysts have reckoned that it has been difficult to estimate the costs and benefits of production of biofuel.The Global Convention on Food Security requires governments to develop and implement national food security plans and to create an international network of local, national, and regional food reserves. Energy crisis and high cost of fossil fuel have given rise to the quest for alternative energy source of biofuel. Sadly, women as social and economic constituencies are often marginalized in most economic policies, even though they are most pinched by such policies. In a developing country such as Ghana, biofuel production entails the use of productive lands and not marginal lands at the expense of food production for food and livelihood security. The use of crops such as maize, soya bean, sugar cane, oil palm, sorghum for biofuel production also have serious implications for food security. It is exactly the areas that women congregate such as agriculture which has long been an important source of income for them, that would be under attack amidst biofuel production craze. Although women dominate in the agriculture sector, which engages over fifty percent of the population directly, only few of them are engaged in cash crop production, which is mostly supported by government to be competitive, compared to food crop which engages majority of women.According to Mr. David Eli of Food Security Policy and Advocacy Network (FoodSPAN) prices of food went up last year because industrialized countries used them to produce fuel to correct the ills of climate change. "People are crying because they don't have their livelihoods concerns being met. There is no policy guideline by government. What will happen to our land, food security in future if we leave our land to the production of jatropha for fuel?", he inquired. In that regard, ActionAid Ghana in collaboration with FoodSPAN is implementing a two year project on biofuel production in Ghana. A study was commissioned to investigate and explore the debate into biofuel production in Ghana and its implications for livelihood and food security of small scale farmers, especially women, and the environment. At a media dissemination workshop in Accra, lead researcher and General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of TUC, Mr. Kingsley Offei-Nkansah stressed that food security is about accessibility of food to a whole nation, household and every individual, although there are differential access to it. He bemoaned that Africa is largely agricultural, but a net food importer and so must sit up, and wondered what would happen if it let out it lands for fuel production."Biofuel promotion in Africa is largely driven by foreign concerns with foreign interests largely to meet external demands on biofuel."Mr. Offei-Nkansah noted there is no policy framework that guides biofuel development in Ghana. However, he said some institutions including Energy Commission, Energy Ministry, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Lands Commission have at various times examined biofuel production. He mentioned small holder production, community energy development and large-scale plantation as the three identified models of biofuel of biofuel production. He disclosed the large scale plantation model have serious implications for livelihood and food security of small-scale producers in Ghana, who are mostly women."Destruction of economic tress such as shea-nut and dawadawa trees actually deny community members, especially women their source of livelihood. It also restricts the hitherto extensive traditional rearing of animals in the affected communities."The study revealed that the widespread practice of monoculture biofuel has caused destruction of forest with its effect on biodiversity. It recommends among others a comprehensive policy framework that incorporates the views of all stakeholders, and clearly indicating sectoral linkages need to be put in place by policy makers and the government. With regard to the production models, it proposes that biofuel production should be driven by local of community energy needs, rather than foreign driven or external energy needs. Further, it stated that companies investing in biofuel production in various communities should be compelled by legislation to make full disclosure of their plans for the use of the lands and other resources in order to improve the knowledge of the local communities to make informed decisions.
Doctors call on government to review draft single spine salary structure
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has rejected the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) on the grounds that it is flawed and lacks a rational scientific basis. The GMA says the SSSS in its current form is unacceptable and has advised government to as a matter of urgency review the structure in the health sector in consultation with all stakeholders before it attempts to implement it. It stated that it is also in the interest of all labour unions to endeavour to discuss all the thorny issues concerning the SSSS before the final implementation. The previous government in line with its policy to institute a SSSS with a proposed start date of January 2009 contracted a consultant to develop an integrated and unified salary structure to instill equity in public salary administration. Although the GMA admits that it was involved in the government?s review process at the initial stages, it denied any involvement that led to placements on the SSSS as contained in the draft document it has sighted. ?Even more was the premature announcement by the previous government of 16-35% salary increment aimed at kick-starting a so-called SSSS, discussions on which were inconclusive,? stated Dr. Emmanuel Adom Winful, President of the GMA at a press briefing in Accra. Expressing the association?s reservations to the final draft of the SSSS, Mr. Winful said that there was a complete distortion of relativities in the health sector to the extent that professionals on the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS) and later the Health Sector Salary Structure (HSS), now find themselves ranked below others to whom they were previously senior. Also, he said the consultant showed a clear lack of understanding of the basic hierarchies in the health system. ?Rather he /she seem to have given undue credit to the title ?Chief? freely dispensing it to various categories of health professionals. The scale is thus full of ?Chief this, Chief that? without any iota of respect for levels of qualification of job description etc,? he explained. To this end, he said the SSSS seem to reward longevity in service rather than spur ring health professionals on to constantly improve their practice through skills acquisition and constant professional upgrading. Dr. Winful questioned why a medical officer cannot call himself a specialist (irrespective of whatever procedures he/she is capable of) after twenty years of medical practice, but any other category of health professional can aspire to the position of specialist by dint of having marked time at the same place for over twenty years. He assured their members that the GMA is contracting the services of its own technical advisor to further advise the association. The GMA lamented that doctors have still not had any salary reviews since negotiations were first concluded in 2006 in spite of the eroding effects of inflation and in clear breach of their memorandum of understanding. It called on authorities to be proactive to bring to speedy conclusions unresolved issues of 2008 and never to wait until near crisis level before they make a move, as has been the practice. ?The leadership of the GMA has been proactive in bringing all these pertinent matters and others central to improving our health system forward, to the attention of the new minister. It is our hope that the Dr. George Sipa Yankey, Health Minister would address them holistically and with necessary dispatch,? it concluded.
RED ALERT: PEDOPHILES ALL OVER ...552 reported cases of defilement in Accra in 2008
The number of defilement cases in Ghana appears to be increasing, with a reported incident of forced sexual intercourse with a minor appearing almost daily in the media. Expert s say the rampant cases of defilement across the country could pass as pedophilia, when assessed which is being disguised as defilement. The Acting Chief Psychiatrist of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Akwasi Osei told Public Agenda that although pedophilia is against the law in Ghana, it is not treated as such; instead it is treated as defilement. If we really realize that some of these people are actually pedophiles, then the first point of call should be somebody requiring psychiatric treatment, Dr. Osei emphasized.According to Dr. Akwasi Osei, Ghana has overlooked this aspect of sex crimes for far too long and it is important to take it into consideration now. For now, Ghana is only scratching the face of the matter, he sai d.In the first two months of this year, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service (DOVVSU) reported 77 cases of defilement. March figures have not yet been computed.Last year, the Accra Division of DOVVSU recorded 552 reported cases of defilement, up 81.3 percent from the 449 reported in 2007. In 2008, defilement cases ranked third among all crimes. The Western Regional office of DOVVSU last year recorded a total of 2,071 general cases, 133, or .06 percent, of which were cases of defilement, defined as corrupting the chastity of or debauching, violating or raping.But Eric Appiah Okrah, a child protection specialist at UNICEF in Accra, cautioned that although the number of sexual assaults against children would appear to be on the rise, in reality it may just be that more people are reporting the crime because of increased education on the issue. "As more people get to be aware of this and the consequences on future child development, then the likelihood is that more cases are reported to the police and come into the limelight," Mr. Okrah said, adding that getting people to report the crime in some regions of the country is still an up-hill battle. "It is shrouded in a kind of secrecy. You realize in the rural areas in several quarters that (the topic of) sexuality is a no-go area and so when it happens there is a tendency to treat it in-house within the family because of the stigma and disgrace it could bring to the family."The fact that some perpetrators of defilement are arrested several times for the crime has raised concern as to whether the nation is really dealing with pedophiles and Ghana is refusing to name the criminals as such. Pedophilia is defined as an obsession with children as sex objects. Overt acts, including taking sexually explicit photographs, molesting children, and exposing one's genitalia to children are all crimes. Pedophilia is also commonly treated as a mental illness, and the pedophile is often released only to repeat the crimes or escalate the activity to the level of murder.Dr. Osei said Ghana is criminalizing all offences, including defilement, some of which may be a psychiatric condition and not a criminal condition. Dr. Osei explained that since pedophilia is a subconscious personality development or a psychological makeup a person forms as he grow up, perpetrators of defilement need to be assessed to determine if they are really pedophiles. An assessment can include talking to relatives and friends about the persons history, he said. He admits, though, that certainly a good number of defilers found may actually be pedophiles, as pedophilia is just one of the abnormal types of sexual activity. He added that other abnormal sexual activity include a preference for animals, feces, etc. However, Dr. Osei said that others may be defiling under-aged females not for sexual pleasures, but because they have been fed with the wrong information. "Some people think that if you are HIV positive and you go in for a young girl or a virgin, you could be cured. Others also do it just because they want to have an adventure."He added that although it is not impossible, pedophilia is difficult to treat, as such persons need to be taken through a whole kind of behaviour therapy. "Generally, there are lots of loopholes in our system. Unlike developed countries, there are no security psychiatric units within the prisons which provide reformed training and psychiatric treatment." Consequently, he said, such convicts come out of prison only to repeat their crime."Dr. Osei called for a revision of the law so that such people can be assessed. He said it is dangerous for Ghana to be putting a good number of people in prison as criminals while ignoring psychiatric treatment, which is a disservice to the perpetrator and society at large. Proper methods of handling such cases need to be put in place, he said. "The idea is not to imprison the person because he has committed a crime, but we need to revise our laws and deal with it as (a mental illness). The fact is that if you assess and he is found to be a pedophile then you treat him as such." Dr. Osei said he hopes that when the National Identification System becomes operational and the biometric data of the citizenry imputed, it will help Ghana to solve the problem. A source at the Accra office of DOVSSU told Public Agenda that the unit is unable to keep track of perpetrators of defilement after their conviction because there is no mechanism to do so. Complicating the matter is the poor addressing system in the country as a whole. "It makes things difficult because after their release from prison society needs to be aware of their history so they can be alert," said the source, who asked not to be identified.More stringent laws and greater enforcement of those laws, said Mr. OKrah, will discourage pedophile and become a deterrent to the crime.A legal associate at the Centre for Public Interest Law, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, argued that the issue is not about what to call the sexual deviancy, rather, he said, the most important thing is that there is a law that prohibits pedophilia with a seven-year minimum penalty and 25-year maximum confinement."Although there have been bold attempts by officialdom to deal with the issue, it could be better."Mr. Okrah agrees, adding that overall Ghana is doing a "good" job in addressing the issue of defilement. "We have laws on defilement and rape that are there. Now we have specialized enforcement institutions (DOVVSU, the police anti-human trafficking division) which have a bias for the victim. However, it's one thing establishing such institutions and making laws and it's another thing to provide the resources," he said."The government needs to strengthen the institutional capacity not only in terms of logistics but the human resources, in terms of training, for them to be able to detect the issues. So, when I say that Ghana is doing well, there is a lot of room for improvement."Meanwhile, reports of defilement are reported almost daily in the nation's newspapers.The Daily Guide newspaper reported last month that a 24-year-old fisherman allegedly defiled a 7-year-old girl at New Takoradi in the Western Region. In another report, the newspaper reported that 44-year-old Eric Engman was arrested by Nima Police in Accra for allegedly defiling five girls ranging in age from 6 to 8.And Public Agenda in its Friday edition published a report of a 20-year-old man, Yaw Nyatseh of Sankore, near Kukuom in the Asunafo South district, who was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in hard labour for defiling two teenagers. Public Agenda also reported that a 24-year-old man was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in hard labour after pleading guilty to a charge of defiling a 10-year-old pupil. In a 2005 United Nations survey of 2,011 women from throughout Ghana, 6 percent of the women said they had been defiled before. Seventy-eight percent of the perpetrators, the women in the survey reported, were either close relatives, acquaintances or family friends.In the same survey, of the 1,035 males who participated, 52 percent said men have sex with very young girls because of weak morals. Fourteen percent thought that men who do that are opportunists, 13 percent said the men lack self respect and 8 percent thought that such men are not normal and may have psychological problems.The survey, "Violence Against Women: The Ghanaian Case," was coordinated by the United Nations' Division for the Advancement of Women.
Ghanaian small scale farmers, particularly women, are facing displacement from their farm lands. In recent times, the northern parts of Ghana are said to be witnessing an influx of foreign companies engaged in jatropha and sugar-cane plantation for biofuel production. Regrettably, some of these companies that are investing in biofuel production acquire large track of land but only pay the farmers for the portion of the land they utilize, in spite of an existing contract. Current trends in the biofuel production, with major policy thrust globally points to many motivations. Some analysts have reckoned that it has been difficult to estimate the costs and benefits of production of biofuel.The Global Convention on Food Security requires governments to develop and implement national food security plans and to create an international network of local, national, and regional food reserves. Energy crisis and high cost of fossil fuel have given rise to the quest for alternative energy source of biofuel. Sadly, women as social and economic constituencies are often marginalized in most economic policies, even though they are most pinched by such policies. In a developing country such as Ghana, biofuel production entails the use of productive lands and not marginal lands at the expense of food production for food and livelihood security. The use of crops such as maize, soya bean, sugar cane, oil palm, sorghum for biofuel production also have serious implications for food security. It is exactly the areas that women congregate such as agriculture which has long been an important source of income for them, that would be under attack amidst biofuel production craze. Although women dominate in the agriculture sector, which engages over fifty percent of the population directly, only few of them are engaged in cash crop production, which is mostly supported by government to be competitive, compared to food crop which engages majority of women.According to Mr. David Eli of Food Security Policy and Advocacy Network (FoodSPAN) prices of food went up last year because industrialized countries used them to produce fuel to correct the ills of climate change. "People are crying because they don't have their livelihoods concerns being met. There is no policy guideline by government. What will happen to our land, food security in future if we leave our land to the production of jatropha for fuel?", he inquired. In that regard, ActionAid Ghana in collaboration with FoodSPAN is implementing a two year project on biofuel production in Ghana. A study was commissioned to investigate and explore the debate into biofuel production in Ghana and its implications for livelihood and food security of small scale farmers, especially women, and the environment. At a media dissemination workshop in Accra, lead researcher and General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of TUC, Mr. Kingsley Offei-Nkansah stressed that food security is about accessibility of food to a whole nation, household and every individual, although there are differential access to it. He bemoaned that Africa is largely agricultural, but a net food importer and so must sit up, and wondered what would happen if it let out it lands for fuel production."Biofuel promotion in Africa is largely driven by foreign concerns with foreign interests largely to meet external demands on biofuel."Mr. Offei-Nkansah noted there is no policy framework that guides biofuel development in Ghana. However, he said some institutions including Energy Commission, Energy Ministry, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Lands Commission have at various times examined biofuel production. He mentioned small holder production, community energy development and large-scale plantation as the three identified models of biofuel of biofuel production. He disclosed the large scale plantation model have serious implications for livelihood and food security of small-scale producers in Ghana, who are mostly women."Destruction of economic tress such as shea-nut and dawadawa trees actually deny community members, especially women their source of livelihood. It also restricts the hitherto extensive traditional rearing of animals in the affected communities."The study revealed that the widespread practice of monoculture biofuel has caused destruction of forest with its effect on biodiversity. It recommends among others a comprehensive policy framework that incorporates the views of all stakeholders, and clearly indicating sectoral linkages need to be put in place by policy makers and the government. With regard to the production models, it proposes that biofuel production should be driven by local of community energy needs, rather than foreign driven or external energy needs. Further, it stated that companies investing in biofuel production in various communities should be compelled by legislation to make full disclosure of their plans for the use of the lands and other resources in order to improve the knowledge of the local communities to make informed decisions.
Doctors call on government to review draft single spine salary structure
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has rejected the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) on the grounds that it is flawed and lacks a rational scientific basis. The GMA says the SSSS in its current form is unacceptable and has advised government to as a matter of urgency review the structure in the health sector in consultation with all stakeholders before it attempts to implement it. It stated that it is also in the interest of all labour unions to endeavour to discuss all the thorny issues concerning the SSSS before the final implementation. The previous government in line with its policy to institute a SSSS with a proposed start date of January 2009 contracted a consultant to develop an integrated and unified salary structure to instill equity in public salary administration. Although the GMA admits that it was involved in the government?s review process at the initial stages, it denied any involvement that led to placements on the SSSS as contained in the draft document it has sighted. ?Even more was the premature announcement by the previous government of 16-35% salary increment aimed at kick-starting a so-called SSSS, discussions on which were inconclusive,? stated Dr. Emmanuel Adom Winful, President of the GMA at a press briefing in Accra. Expressing the association?s reservations to the final draft of the SSSS, Mr. Winful said that there was a complete distortion of relativities in the health sector to the extent that professionals on the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS) and later the Health Sector Salary Structure (HSS), now find themselves ranked below others to whom they were previously senior. Also, he said the consultant showed a clear lack of understanding of the basic hierarchies in the health system. ?Rather he /she seem to have given undue credit to the title ?Chief? freely dispensing it to various categories of health professionals. The scale is thus full of ?Chief this, Chief that? without any iota of respect for levels of qualification of job description etc,? he explained. To this end, he said the SSSS seem to reward longevity in service rather than spur ring health professionals on to constantly improve their practice through skills acquisition and constant professional upgrading. Dr. Winful questioned why a medical officer cannot call himself a specialist (irrespective of whatever procedures he/she is capable of) after twenty years of medical practice, but any other category of health professional can aspire to the position of specialist by dint of having marked time at the same place for over twenty years. He assured their members that the GMA is contracting the services of its own technical advisor to further advise the association. The GMA lamented that doctors have still not had any salary reviews since negotiations were first concluded in 2006 in spite of the eroding effects of inflation and in clear breach of their memorandum of understanding. It called on authorities to be proactive to bring to speedy conclusions unresolved issues of 2008 and never to wait until near crisis level before they make a move, as has been the practice. ?The leadership of the GMA has been proactive in bringing all these pertinent matters and others central to improving our health system forward, to the attention of the new minister. It is our hope that the Dr. George Sipa Yankey, Health Minister would address them holistically and with necessary dispatch,? it concluded.
RED ALERT: PEDOPHILES ALL OVER ...552 reported cases of defilement in Accra in 2008
The number of defilement cases in Ghana appears to be increasing, with a reported incident of forced sexual intercourse with a minor appearing almost daily in the media. Expert s say the rampant cases of defilement across the country could pass as pedophilia, when assessed which is being disguised as defilement. The Acting Chief Psychiatrist of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Akwasi Osei told Public Agenda that although pedophilia is against the law in Ghana, it is not treated as such; instead it is treated as defilement. If we really realize that some of these people are actually pedophiles, then the first point of call should be somebody requiring psychiatric treatment, Dr. Osei emphasized.According to Dr. Akwasi Osei, Ghana has overlooked this aspect of sex crimes for far too long and it is important to take it into consideration now. For now, Ghana is only scratching the face of the matter, he sai d.In the first two months of this year, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service (DOVVSU) reported 77 cases of defilement. March figures have not yet been computed.Last year, the Accra Division of DOVVSU recorded 552 reported cases of defilement, up 81.3 percent from the 449 reported in 2007. In 2008, defilement cases ranked third among all crimes. The Western Regional office of DOVVSU last year recorded a total of 2,071 general cases, 133, or .06 percent, of which were cases of defilement, defined as corrupting the chastity of or debauching, violating or raping.But Eric Appiah Okrah, a child protection specialist at UNICEF in Accra, cautioned that although the number of sexual assaults against children would appear to be on the rise, in reality it may just be that more people are reporting the crime because of increased education on the issue. "As more people get to be aware of this and the consequences on future child development, then the likelihood is that more cases are reported to the police and come into the limelight," Mr. Okrah said, adding that getting people to report the crime in some regions of the country is still an up-hill battle. "It is shrouded in a kind of secrecy. You realize in the rural areas in several quarters that (the topic of) sexuality is a no-go area and so when it happens there is a tendency to treat it in-house within the family because of the stigma and disgrace it could bring to the family."The fact that some perpetrators of defilement are arrested several times for the crime has raised concern as to whether the nation is really dealing with pedophiles and Ghana is refusing to name the criminals as such. Pedophilia is defined as an obsession with children as sex objects. Overt acts, including taking sexually explicit photographs, molesting children, and exposing one's genitalia to children are all crimes. Pedophilia is also commonly treated as a mental illness, and the pedophile is often released only to repeat the crimes or escalate the activity to the level of murder.Dr. Osei said Ghana is criminalizing all offences, including defilement, some of which may be a psychiatric condition and not a criminal condition. Dr. Osei explained that since pedophilia is a subconscious personality development or a psychological makeup a person forms as he grow up, perpetrators of defilement need to be assessed to determine if they are really pedophiles. An assessment can include talking to relatives and friends about the persons history, he said. He admits, though, that certainly a good number of defilers found may actually be pedophiles, as pedophilia is just one of the abnormal types of sexual activity. He added that other abnormal sexual activity include a preference for animals, feces, etc. However, Dr. Osei said that others may be defiling under-aged females not for sexual pleasures, but because they have been fed with the wrong information. "Some people think that if you are HIV positive and you go in for a young girl or a virgin, you could be cured. Others also do it just because they want to have an adventure."He added that although it is not impossible, pedophilia is difficult to treat, as such persons need to be taken through a whole kind of behaviour therapy. "Generally, there are lots of loopholes in our system. Unlike developed countries, there are no security psychiatric units within the prisons which provide reformed training and psychiatric treatment." Consequently, he said, such convicts come out of prison only to repeat their crime."Dr. Osei called for a revision of the law so that such people can be assessed. He said it is dangerous for Ghana to be putting a good number of people in prison as criminals while ignoring psychiatric treatment, which is a disservice to the perpetrator and society at large. Proper methods of handling such cases need to be put in place, he said. "The idea is not to imprison the person because he has committed a crime, but we need to revise our laws and deal with it as (a mental illness). The fact is that if you assess and he is found to be a pedophile then you treat him as such." Dr. Osei said he hopes that when the National Identification System becomes operational and the biometric data of the citizenry imputed, it will help Ghana to solve the problem. A source at the Accra office of DOVSSU told Public Agenda that the unit is unable to keep track of perpetrators of defilement after their conviction because there is no mechanism to do so. Complicating the matter is the poor addressing system in the country as a whole. "It makes things difficult because after their release from prison society needs to be aware of their history so they can be alert," said the source, who asked not to be identified.More stringent laws and greater enforcement of those laws, said Mr. OKrah, will discourage pedophile and become a deterrent to the crime.A legal associate at the Centre for Public Interest Law, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, argued that the issue is not about what to call the sexual deviancy, rather, he said, the most important thing is that there is a law that prohibits pedophilia with a seven-year minimum penalty and 25-year maximum confinement."Although there have been bold attempts by officialdom to deal with the issue, it could be better."Mr. Okrah agrees, adding that overall Ghana is doing a "good" job in addressing the issue of defilement. "We have laws on defilement and rape that are there. Now we have specialized enforcement institutions (DOVVSU, the police anti-human trafficking division) which have a bias for the victim. However, it's one thing establishing such institutions and making laws and it's another thing to provide the resources," he said."The government needs to strengthen the institutional capacity not only in terms of logistics but the human resources, in terms of training, for them to be able to detect the issues. So, when I say that Ghana is doing well, there is a lot of room for improvement."Meanwhile, reports of defilement are reported almost daily in the nation's newspapers.The Daily Guide newspaper reported last month that a 24-year-old fisherman allegedly defiled a 7-year-old girl at New Takoradi in the Western Region. In another report, the newspaper reported that 44-year-old Eric Engman was arrested by Nima Police in Accra for allegedly defiling five girls ranging in age from 6 to 8.And Public Agenda in its Friday edition published a report of a 20-year-old man, Yaw Nyatseh of Sankore, near Kukuom in the Asunafo South district, who was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in hard labour for defiling two teenagers. Public Agenda also reported that a 24-year-old man was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in hard labour after pleading guilty to a charge of defiling a 10-year-old pupil. In a 2005 United Nations survey of 2,011 women from throughout Ghana, 6 percent of the women said they had been defiled before. Seventy-eight percent of the perpetrators, the women in the survey reported, were either close relatives, acquaintances or family friends.In the same survey, of the 1,035 males who participated, 52 percent said men have sex with very young girls because of weak morals. Fourteen percent thought that men who do that are opportunists, 13 percent said the men lack self respect and 8 percent thought that such men are not normal and may have psychological problems.The survey, "Violence Against Women: The Ghanaian Case," was coordinated by the United Nations' Division for the Advancement of Women.
ISODEC adopts community participation to alleviate poverty
The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) is embarking on a project to help alleviate poverty and improve the livelihoods of people at Kwame Anum, a community in the Ga West district, through community initiative and participation.NOVIV ?OXFAM is providing the fund through ISODEC. ISODEC says the idea to implement the project is to look at the livelihood resource such as natural capital, economic capital and fiscal capital, to be able to provide the needed support. As a result, two-year contract agreement has been signed between ISODEC and representatives of Kwame Anum Development Union (KADU) at a ceremony in Accra, during which the union received the first tranch of money amounting to GH?21,170, as start up credit scheme to support economic activities. KADU was represented by Reuben Ayikai Aryeetey-Chairman, Bernard Attoh-Secretary and Isaac Afadi Djan- Treasurer. Mr. Ernest Tay Awoosah, Director of Finance and Administration of ISODEC, who is also the project manager, explained that the missing link identified in Kwame Anum was the necessary financial capital to improve their activities. ?Through NOVIV we are trying to inject money into their economic activities which include farming and agro processing.?Consequently, he said a Community Managed Micro Credit scheme has been set up to give them financial support to get basic farming equipment and also buy produce for storage and sale during lean season, after which profit could be shared among the community and the farmers.He stated that the Cedi Finance Foundation (CFF), a micro-finance institution affiliated to ISODEC and currently operating in Kumasi, is providing the technical support, while ISODEC will assist with project management and capacity building. He said extension officers in the district will also be contracted to assist.?We hope at the end of the day to contribute to food security and social network. We also expect that after the two year support, they should be able to do it on their own.?He disclosed that the second tranch of GH?44, 822 will mainly go into infrastructure development for agro-processing. Mr. Awoosah recalled that an initial concept was developed in partnership with the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation to adopt a ?Millennium Village?, where individuals were to be given a dollar a day for a number of years, to measure the input. However, he said the project could not materialize due to change in management of the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation. Mr. Awoosah said that in spite of this development, ISODEC could not put its credibility on the line as feasibility studies had been completed and the community could not be disappointed after being prepared. Therefore, he said ISODEC sought assistance from NOVIV ?OXFAM. ISODEC currently provides basic needs services (health, education and micro-finance) and is also an advocacy organization.
The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) is embarking on a project to help alleviate poverty and improve the livelihoods of people at Kwame Anum, a community in the Ga West district, through community initiative and participation.NOVIV ?OXFAM is providing the fund through ISODEC. ISODEC says the idea to implement the project is to look at the livelihood resource such as natural capital, economic capital and fiscal capital, to be able to provide the needed support. As a result, two-year contract agreement has been signed between ISODEC and representatives of Kwame Anum Development Union (KADU) at a ceremony in Accra, during which the union received the first tranch of money amounting to GH?21,170, as start up credit scheme to support economic activities. KADU was represented by Reuben Ayikai Aryeetey-Chairman, Bernard Attoh-Secretary and Isaac Afadi Djan- Treasurer. Mr. Ernest Tay Awoosah, Director of Finance and Administration of ISODEC, who is also the project manager, explained that the missing link identified in Kwame Anum was the necessary financial capital to improve their activities. ?Through NOVIV we are trying to inject money into their economic activities which include farming and agro processing.?Consequently, he said a Community Managed Micro Credit scheme has been set up to give them financial support to get basic farming equipment and also buy produce for storage and sale during lean season, after which profit could be shared among the community and the farmers.He stated that the Cedi Finance Foundation (CFF), a micro-finance institution affiliated to ISODEC and currently operating in Kumasi, is providing the technical support, while ISODEC will assist with project management and capacity building. He said extension officers in the district will also be contracted to assist.?We hope at the end of the day to contribute to food security and social network. We also expect that after the two year support, they should be able to do it on their own.?He disclosed that the second tranch of GH?44, 822 will mainly go into infrastructure development for agro-processing. Mr. Awoosah recalled that an initial concept was developed in partnership with the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation to adopt a ?Millennium Village?, where individuals were to be given a dollar a day for a number of years, to measure the input. However, he said the project could not materialize due to change in management of the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation. Mr. Awoosah said that in spite of this development, ISODEC could not put its credibility on the line as feasibility studies had been completed and the community could not be disappointed after being prepared. Therefore, he said ISODEC sought assistance from NOVIV ?OXFAM. ISODEC currently provides basic needs services (health, education and micro-finance) and is also an advocacy organization.
DOVVSU child help line out of coverage area
A most recent improvement at the office of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Accra was the “child helpline” launched to make for people across the country to call toll-free and lodge complaints of violence against children.
Sadly, the child help line launched with funfair is now a mere dream. The MTN helpline with supposed toll -free number 1622 is no longer free. Public Agenda’s investigations have revealed that complainants who call the much publicized number actually lose some credit on their phone. Worse of all, the line perpetually gives an engaged feedback. “We used to receive a lot of complaints countrywide. However, because most callers were children, they could no longer call,” a source at DOVVSU told Public Agenda. Originally designated to work 24 hours a day, it worked only eight hours and broke down. Through the help line though, the unit was able to rescue persons who had been abused. Domestic violence is defined as a family member, a partner or an ex-partner physically or psychologically dominating through economic, sexual or emotional abuses. DOVVSU, formerly known as the Women and Juvenile Unit ( WAJU ) of the Ghana Police Service was established in October 1998, to provide timely and equitable response to victims of abuse. The unit’s functions include: to investigate all female and children related offences, handle cases involving domestic violence, handle cases of child abuse, handle juvenile offences, handle cases of child delinquency and to prosecute all such cases, where necessary.DOVVSU does not operate as a regular police station. Services provided by DOVVSU are cost-free and include taking statements, briefing victims on their cases, providing advice on crime prevention, referring clients to community-based medical and counseling services, as well as providing the services of a clinical psychologist and social workers.It has offices in each of the capital cities of the 10 regions and in some districts.A typical day at the offices of the DOVVSU often reveals a crowd of complainants in a long queue with majority of them being women. However, the renaming of the unit from WAJU to DOVVSU between 2004 and 2005 has helped a great deal to encourage men to lodge their complaints as well. In Ghana, the Domestic Violence Bill (DV) passed in February 2007 mandated financial assistance to fight domestic violence and set up a Victims of Domestic Violence Support Fund supported by voluntary contributions and Parliament. The fund is supposed to provide enough money for the DOVVSU to provide basic support to victims and assist with matters of rehabilitation and reintegration. But the funding has not come. Although, the DV Bill is gender-neutral, an overwhelming majority of the victims / complainants at DOVVSU are females.As at now, DOVVSU understaffed and lacks supplies to effectively respond to increasing caseload.
Maame Dokono’s orphanage is the first casualty of illegal orphanages
As announced last year, the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) is now embarking on an exercise to clamp down on institutions that have, in many cases not complied with most basic social welfare requirements, as conditions of care in these homes are found not to be the best, with about 80% of the staff being unqualified. All the orphanages in Ghana are said to be registered as non-governmental organisation (NGOS) and are currently operating not in accordance with Section 105 of the Children Act. The Peace & Love Orphanage situated at Adenta and belonging to popular actress Grace Omaboe alias Maame Dokono is the first to be axed. When Public Agenda contacted an official of the Department of Social Welfare (DSW), Ms Helena Obeng-Asamoah, she said they moved in when they received a report that an eight month baby had been sodomized by an eight year old boy. Consequently, she said a directive was given by the director to relocate the children to other orphanages and some to foster homes, after officers had visited the facility and given their report. Since last week when news about the closure of the orphanage and other developments broke out, a section of the public and indeed Maame Dokono herself, suspects her ordeal was politically motivated. However, Ms Helena Obeng-Asamoah, who is the Coordinator of the Care Reform Initiative (CRI) of DSW, emphasized that the closure was solely due to the fact that her facility did not conform to the required minimum international and national standards of an orphanage. How long it has taken for the DSW to realize this raises more questions.She said the department realized that the incident might have happened because supervision was not the best since Maame Dokono was away. “Maame Dokono understood our action when she returned from abroad. She can continue to do her NGO work but for an orphanage she has to improve her place.” She disassociated the department from further developments on the matter involving the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Police (DOVVSU), saying that the DSW’s prime concern was the children and to relocate them to a place where supervision is better.
“We do not have the right to take legal action against her. It’s the duty of the police. We also heard about the alleged scuffle between her and DOVVSU in the news.” A census by the department revealed that operations of most orphanages do not conform to the required minimum international and national standards. Ms Obeng-Asamoah disclosed that the DSW is now working in the Central, Western and Greater Accra regions under the CRI, aimed at ensuring that all departments, agencies and NGOs in the country have the training and resources to encourage appropriate parental or alternative care, and to ensure that institutional care in orphanages is used as a last resort.
She said the CRI also seeks to de-emphasize over reliance of care systems for children based on institutions and move towards a range of integrated family and community based care services for such children without appropriate parental care. Meanwhile, the DOVVSU has said that the action was meant to protect the inmates of the orphanage. Chief Inspector Irene Oppong, Public Relations Officer of DOVVSU is quoted to have said that the orphanage was operating illegally. Officials of DOVVSU last Thursday stormed the orphanage to invite Grace Omaboe for questioning, but a scuffle ensued in what Inspector Oppong said was triggered by insults from Ms Omaboe.But Maame Dokono has denied and claimed attempts were made by the officials to forcibly arrest her, even though she had informed them of her willingness to come to the office with her lawyer.Grace Omaboe popularly called Maame Dokono had been with the NDC but cross carpet to the then ruling NPP. Inspector Irene Oppong said her outfit has preferred charges of exposing a child to harm against Maame Dokono as stipulated by the Children’s Act.This is because under the Act, a person under 12 years cannot be charged with a criminal offence, rather the parent or guardian of the child.
Women hail micro loans
Over 90 percent of the working population of women are engaged in the private informal economy. Of these, 50 percent are in services of which trading forms a major part.Their predominance in the informal sector of the economy is said to be a reflection of gender inequalities in Ghana. It thus came as no surprise when Dr. Dzodzi Tsikata of the Institute for Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at one time advocated the removal of biases against the informal economy.“Women do have a special though unhappy relationship with the informal economy, since the face of the informal economy is female,” Dr. Dzodzi Tsikata ISSER said, while calling on government to recognize, resource and take them on board when discussing policy issues that affect trade.After the 1997 Micro Credit Summit, the United Nations declared 2005 as the year of micro credit. In recent times, even in Ghana, micro loans have come as a ready source for traders for the expansion of small businesses such as the selling foodstuffs and thereby reducing extreme poverty. A report by the Micro credit Summit Campaign (MSC) states that more than 106 million of the world’s poorest families received a micro loan in 2007, surpassing a goal set 10 years earlier. The MSC recognizes the world’s poorest as those who live in the bottom half of those living below the poverty line, or any of the nearly one billion people living on less than $1 a day in the world. Following the establishment of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), the micro unit was established to empower female traders economically.“It is necessary because when the woman is economically empowered she can contribute meaningfully to economic development,” stated Mrs. Adiza Ofori-Adu, Public Relations Officer of MOWAC. She said that before the loans are given out, the women are offered training in business and financial management. MOWAC through the National Investment Bank, Agricultural Development Bank and the rural banks disbursed micro-credit to women. An amount of GH¢120, 000 has been disbursed to 120,000 women countrywide with each receiving GH¢100. Ninety women involved in small scale businesses have also benefited from the ministry’s small loans ranging GH¢200 to GH ¢2,500. These loans build women’s self-esteem, leadership and creativity.The Makola Traders Union (MTU), an affiliate of the Ghana Trades Union Congress, is one of such recognized associations benefiting from micro loans by some bank and non-bank financial institutions. Majority of the members of MTU Public Agenda spoke to were grateful to the financial institutions for their assistance, more so when no collateral is demanded. They only need to open an account with the financial institution in question. The union’s Welfare Officer, Madam Juliana Brown Afari, expressed the union’s gratefulness, “It has helped us a lot because some of us lacked money to trade. But now through the loans we have been able to expand our trading activities.” They however, appealed to the financial institutions to give them lesser interest rates and an extension of the repayment period. The competition for micro loans has been extremely keen to the extent that some banking and non-banking financial institutions, which previously ignored the informal sector (small traders), have made it their primary focus. Some claim they are determined to empower many women financially to grow their businesses, which in turn, will impact favourably on the economy.
The Head of Credit of EB-ACCION Savings & Loan, a subsidiary of ECOBANK Ghana Ltd., Mr. Tim Biwott, said his organization deemed it a corporate social responsibility to leverage the market by providing finance to the informal sector so they can generate income to sustain themselves.
“Because there was a missing gap of financiers, people could not access funds and we decided to fill the gap. What we are doing is to try to create funding within Africa; that is mobilize savings ourselves and lending to ourselves,” he explained. He noted that Africa could just share what it has but not always rely on funds from outside. He stressed, “Financial laws should be stricter. If we really want to change and bring wealth in Africa, all governments should be concerned with micro credit.” The Bank of Ghana’s Financial Stability Report, November 2008, states that latest credit conditions survey shows a general net tightening of credit conditions for enterprises, with a shift in accommodation from corporates to small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).It said the net percentage of banks reporting net tightening of credit stance for loans to enterprises increased further (up from 6.12% as of July 2008 survey round to 25.30% in the October 2008 survey round).
The most important factors cited by banks as contributing to net tightening are cost of funds and expectations regarding economic activities. Competition from other banks and non-bank financial institutions, however, contributed to easing of credit stance. Small and medium-sized companies
(SMEs), however, continued to benefit from increased access to credit.Net demand (percentage of customers applying for credit) for loans to households for house purchase fell further in the third quarter of 2008 (to 24.89 per cent of respondents not demanding credit, from 8.45 per cent willing to contract loans in the previous quarter).
Small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SME) net demand for loans continued to be strong while large enterprises’ net demand declined marginally in the third quarter of 2008.The informal economy is said to be generating 10 times more jobs than the formal economy since the 1980s, as it is the last resort for the unemployed.It also contributes 20 to 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
Tobacco is chief preventable cause of death
Tobacco use is regarded as the chief preventable cause of death around the world accounting for over five million deaths and related illness annually. The figure is expected to increase to over eight million by 2030 and 80% of these deaths will occur in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted in May 2003 and which contains evidence-based policies for reducing tobacco use describes the health impact of tobacco use and outlines a shared global commitment to action. The objective of the FCTC is to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. Advocates of tobacco control in Sub-Sahara Africa are seriously pushing for the domestication of the FCTC treaty in their countries. At a workshop on Tobacco Control Policy and Advocacy in Accra the Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action of Nigeria (ERA) Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, said it was sad that the African continent had become a major target of the tobacco industry and that there was the need to develop a homegrown strategy curb this threat. More than 85% of the world’s 1.8 billion young people living in developing countries are aggressively targeted by tobacco companies following stricter regulations in Europe and North America. “Africa has unfortunately been saddled with a number of diseases and we cannot afford a clearly avoidable addition manufactured by the tobacco industry,” he stressed. The Africa Tobacco Control Regional Initiative (ACTRI), supported by the Cancer Research, UK and American Cancer Society (ACS) organised the workshop for civil society groups in Anglophone African countries. The objective was to strengthen the knowledge of the tobacco control advocates and empower them to initiate actions to push for effective control policies within their countries. Tobacco shortens the lifespan of smokers by 25 years with about 70% of people who start smoking from their teens dying by 45.The Project Coordinator of ACTRI, Ms Sandra Moreira, noted the rise in the use of tobacco products among the youth and women is one of the most ominous developments of the tobacco epidemic in Africa. She said that since the continent had few resources for tobacco control, the challenge ahead was to put the FCTC in perspective. “ACTRI is working to promote the adoption, implementation and enforcement of effective in-country tobacco control policies and legislation, by providing institutional support and capacity building among tobacco control advocates and public health experts from the continent.” Currently, the FCTC has been signed by 42 and ratified by 35 African countries while national legislations are undergoing reviews in several African countries. In Ghana, the Ministry of Health is collaborating with other stakeholders to get the Tobacco Bill passed into law. This will give more meaning to the ratification of the WHO FCTC and will constitute a legal framework for the enforcement of tobacco control activities in Ghana.The WHO is encouraging member states and policy-makers to introduce a law that provides for a ban on all forms of advertisiments, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products. It is believed that a 100% smoke- free environment is the only means to protect people from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.
New report says Ghana is unlikely to meet MDGs
A new report has revealed that Ghana is highly unlikely to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. It states that if the country merely keeps up current rates of progress, only a small number of targets would be reached. According to the report, although there have been efforts to expand coverage of social interventions, real access remains patchy; significant pockets of communities and even entire districts lag behind the picture of progress portrayed by national aggregate statistics.SEND-Ghana and Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR) launched the report, “The Ghana Civil Society MDG Monitoring Report, 2008” at a ceremony in Accra. The report states that Ghana can foster real progress towards the MDGs when she adopts a much resolute effort to deepen the quality delivery and to diffuse the spread of relevant social policies. It focused on the performance and progress Ghana has made in achieving MDGs on health and education in selected districts. They are namely Kwahu North district in the Eastern Region, Bongo in the Upper East and Komenda Eguafo Edina Abirem in the Central region. Ultimately, the report is expected to facilitate advocacy to accelerate progress and to fine processes towards achieving the MDGs in Ghana. The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations-and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.The MDGs are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world’s main development challenges. Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education, Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women, Goal 4: Reduce child mortality, Goal 5: Improve maternal health, Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability and Goal 8 : Develop a Global Partnership for Development. Prof. Kwame Ninsin of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) during a review lauded the report, saying that it contains what policy makers refuse to see. On Education goals, MDGs 2 and 3, he noted that there have considerable inputs in access to education, especially at the lower levels due to interventions such as the Capitation Grant. Yet, he said there are certain challenges being faced by teachers and pupils because consistent efforts in official circles substitute quality with quantity. He stressed that policy makers should not confuse access with participation. He bemoaned that most schools do not have conditions for effective teaching and learning, with most classrooms dilapidated, inadequate textbooks and teaching aids and most children compelled to work before going to school. “Children should have encouraging reasons to remain in school and feel motivated by the environment to study.”According to Prof. Ninsin, state financing for basic education is declining, while the National Youth Employment Programme has become an instrument for dumping young women and men in schools in several villages. This, he described as an indictment on the government. With regard to girl child education, he said the principle to achieve gender parity had a negative impact. He said the policy has been pursued without regard to quality education and remarked that it is decay in particularly public rural schools. “We as citizens must be concerned about the decay in education system has a contribution in the worth of human beings, the youth.” He said education is a fundamental right of very child but the study failed to emphasize the fact education is a right to be provided by government. Looking at health MDG 4,5 and 6, Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies said the analyses suggest that health MDGs remain largely achievable if needed investments are made now, but then time is running fast. She said traditional beliefs and taboos continue to have adversely impact on health choices. However, she said the report would be very useful to propel the country to development.
A most recent improvement at the office of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Accra was the “child helpline” launched to make for people across the country to call toll-free and lodge complaints of violence against children.
Sadly, the child help line launched with funfair is now a mere dream. The MTN helpline with supposed toll -free number 1622 is no longer free. Public Agenda’s investigations have revealed that complainants who call the much publicized number actually lose some credit on their phone. Worse of all, the line perpetually gives an engaged feedback. “We used to receive a lot of complaints countrywide. However, because most callers were children, they could no longer call,” a source at DOVVSU told Public Agenda. Originally designated to work 24 hours a day, it worked only eight hours and broke down. Through the help line though, the unit was able to rescue persons who had been abused. Domestic violence is defined as a family member, a partner or an ex-partner physically or psychologically dominating through economic, sexual or emotional abuses. DOVVSU, formerly known as the Women and Juvenile Unit ( WAJU ) of the Ghana Police Service was established in October 1998, to provide timely and equitable response to victims of abuse. The unit’s functions include: to investigate all female and children related offences, handle cases involving domestic violence, handle cases of child abuse, handle juvenile offences, handle cases of child delinquency and to prosecute all such cases, where necessary.DOVVSU does not operate as a regular police station. Services provided by DOVVSU are cost-free and include taking statements, briefing victims on their cases, providing advice on crime prevention, referring clients to community-based medical and counseling services, as well as providing the services of a clinical psychologist and social workers.It has offices in each of the capital cities of the 10 regions and in some districts.A typical day at the offices of the DOVVSU often reveals a crowd of complainants in a long queue with majority of them being women. However, the renaming of the unit from WAJU to DOVVSU between 2004 and 2005 has helped a great deal to encourage men to lodge their complaints as well. In Ghana, the Domestic Violence Bill (DV) passed in February 2007 mandated financial assistance to fight domestic violence and set up a Victims of Domestic Violence Support Fund supported by voluntary contributions and Parliament. The fund is supposed to provide enough money for the DOVVSU to provide basic support to victims and assist with matters of rehabilitation and reintegration. But the funding has not come. Although, the DV Bill is gender-neutral, an overwhelming majority of the victims / complainants at DOVVSU are females.As at now, DOVVSU understaffed and lacks supplies to effectively respond to increasing caseload.
Maame Dokono’s orphanage is the first casualty of illegal orphanages
As announced last year, the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) is now embarking on an exercise to clamp down on institutions that have, in many cases not complied with most basic social welfare requirements, as conditions of care in these homes are found not to be the best, with about 80% of the staff being unqualified. All the orphanages in Ghana are said to be registered as non-governmental organisation (NGOS) and are currently operating not in accordance with Section 105 of the Children Act. The Peace & Love Orphanage situated at Adenta and belonging to popular actress Grace Omaboe alias Maame Dokono is the first to be axed. When Public Agenda contacted an official of the Department of Social Welfare (DSW), Ms Helena Obeng-Asamoah, she said they moved in when they received a report that an eight month baby had been sodomized by an eight year old boy. Consequently, she said a directive was given by the director to relocate the children to other orphanages and some to foster homes, after officers had visited the facility and given their report. Since last week when news about the closure of the orphanage and other developments broke out, a section of the public and indeed Maame Dokono herself, suspects her ordeal was politically motivated. However, Ms Helena Obeng-Asamoah, who is the Coordinator of the Care Reform Initiative (CRI) of DSW, emphasized that the closure was solely due to the fact that her facility did not conform to the required minimum international and national standards of an orphanage. How long it has taken for the DSW to realize this raises more questions.She said the department realized that the incident might have happened because supervision was not the best since Maame Dokono was away. “Maame Dokono understood our action when she returned from abroad. She can continue to do her NGO work but for an orphanage she has to improve her place.” She disassociated the department from further developments on the matter involving the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Police (DOVVSU), saying that the DSW’s prime concern was the children and to relocate them to a place where supervision is better.
“We do not have the right to take legal action against her. It’s the duty of the police. We also heard about the alleged scuffle between her and DOVVSU in the news.” A census by the department revealed that operations of most orphanages do not conform to the required minimum international and national standards. Ms Obeng-Asamoah disclosed that the DSW is now working in the Central, Western and Greater Accra regions under the CRI, aimed at ensuring that all departments, agencies and NGOs in the country have the training and resources to encourage appropriate parental or alternative care, and to ensure that institutional care in orphanages is used as a last resort.
She said the CRI also seeks to de-emphasize over reliance of care systems for children based on institutions and move towards a range of integrated family and community based care services for such children without appropriate parental care. Meanwhile, the DOVVSU has said that the action was meant to protect the inmates of the orphanage. Chief Inspector Irene Oppong, Public Relations Officer of DOVVSU is quoted to have said that the orphanage was operating illegally. Officials of DOVVSU last Thursday stormed the orphanage to invite Grace Omaboe for questioning, but a scuffle ensued in what Inspector Oppong said was triggered by insults from Ms Omaboe.But Maame Dokono has denied and claimed attempts were made by the officials to forcibly arrest her, even though she had informed them of her willingness to come to the office with her lawyer.Grace Omaboe popularly called Maame Dokono had been with the NDC but cross carpet to the then ruling NPP. Inspector Irene Oppong said her outfit has preferred charges of exposing a child to harm against Maame Dokono as stipulated by the Children’s Act.This is because under the Act, a person under 12 years cannot be charged with a criminal offence, rather the parent or guardian of the child.
Women hail micro loans
Over 90 percent of the working population of women are engaged in the private informal economy. Of these, 50 percent are in services of which trading forms a major part.Their predominance in the informal sector of the economy is said to be a reflection of gender inequalities in Ghana. It thus came as no surprise when Dr. Dzodzi Tsikata of the Institute for Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at one time advocated the removal of biases against the informal economy.“Women do have a special though unhappy relationship with the informal economy, since the face of the informal economy is female,” Dr. Dzodzi Tsikata ISSER said, while calling on government to recognize, resource and take them on board when discussing policy issues that affect trade.After the 1997 Micro Credit Summit, the United Nations declared 2005 as the year of micro credit. In recent times, even in Ghana, micro loans have come as a ready source for traders for the expansion of small businesses such as the selling foodstuffs and thereby reducing extreme poverty. A report by the Micro credit Summit Campaign (MSC) states that more than 106 million of the world’s poorest families received a micro loan in 2007, surpassing a goal set 10 years earlier. The MSC recognizes the world’s poorest as those who live in the bottom half of those living below the poverty line, or any of the nearly one billion people living on less than $1 a day in the world. Following the establishment of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), the micro unit was established to empower female traders economically.“It is necessary because when the woman is economically empowered she can contribute meaningfully to economic development,” stated Mrs. Adiza Ofori-Adu, Public Relations Officer of MOWAC. She said that before the loans are given out, the women are offered training in business and financial management. MOWAC through the National Investment Bank, Agricultural Development Bank and the rural banks disbursed micro-credit to women. An amount of GH¢120, 000 has been disbursed to 120,000 women countrywide with each receiving GH¢100. Ninety women involved in small scale businesses have also benefited from the ministry’s small loans ranging GH¢200 to GH ¢2,500. These loans build women’s self-esteem, leadership and creativity.The Makola Traders Union (MTU), an affiliate of the Ghana Trades Union Congress, is one of such recognized associations benefiting from micro loans by some bank and non-bank financial institutions. Majority of the members of MTU Public Agenda spoke to were grateful to the financial institutions for their assistance, more so when no collateral is demanded. They only need to open an account with the financial institution in question. The union’s Welfare Officer, Madam Juliana Brown Afari, expressed the union’s gratefulness, “It has helped us a lot because some of us lacked money to trade. But now through the loans we have been able to expand our trading activities.” They however, appealed to the financial institutions to give them lesser interest rates and an extension of the repayment period. The competition for micro loans has been extremely keen to the extent that some banking and non-banking financial institutions, which previously ignored the informal sector (small traders), have made it their primary focus. Some claim they are determined to empower many women financially to grow their businesses, which in turn, will impact favourably on the economy.
The Head of Credit of EB-ACCION Savings & Loan, a subsidiary of ECOBANK Ghana Ltd., Mr. Tim Biwott, said his organization deemed it a corporate social responsibility to leverage the market by providing finance to the informal sector so they can generate income to sustain themselves.
“Because there was a missing gap of financiers, people could not access funds and we decided to fill the gap. What we are doing is to try to create funding within Africa; that is mobilize savings ourselves and lending to ourselves,” he explained. He noted that Africa could just share what it has but not always rely on funds from outside. He stressed, “Financial laws should be stricter. If we really want to change and bring wealth in Africa, all governments should be concerned with micro credit.” The Bank of Ghana’s Financial Stability Report, November 2008, states that latest credit conditions survey shows a general net tightening of credit conditions for enterprises, with a shift in accommodation from corporates to small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).It said the net percentage of banks reporting net tightening of credit stance for loans to enterprises increased further (up from 6.12% as of July 2008 survey round to 25.30% in the October 2008 survey round).
The most important factors cited by banks as contributing to net tightening are cost of funds and expectations regarding economic activities. Competition from other banks and non-bank financial institutions, however, contributed to easing of credit stance. Small and medium-sized companies
(SMEs), however, continued to benefit from increased access to credit.Net demand (percentage of customers applying for credit) for loans to households for house purchase fell further in the third quarter of 2008 (to 24.89 per cent of respondents not demanding credit, from 8.45 per cent willing to contract loans in the previous quarter).
Small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SME) net demand for loans continued to be strong while large enterprises’ net demand declined marginally in the third quarter of 2008.The informal economy is said to be generating 10 times more jobs than the formal economy since the 1980s, as it is the last resort for the unemployed.It also contributes 20 to 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
Tobacco is chief preventable cause of death
Tobacco use is regarded as the chief preventable cause of death around the world accounting for over five million deaths and related illness annually. The figure is expected to increase to over eight million by 2030 and 80% of these deaths will occur in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted in May 2003 and which contains evidence-based policies for reducing tobacco use describes the health impact of tobacco use and outlines a shared global commitment to action. The objective of the FCTC is to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. Advocates of tobacco control in Sub-Sahara Africa are seriously pushing for the domestication of the FCTC treaty in their countries. At a workshop on Tobacco Control Policy and Advocacy in Accra the Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action of Nigeria (ERA) Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, said it was sad that the African continent had become a major target of the tobacco industry and that there was the need to develop a homegrown strategy curb this threat. More than 85% of the world’s 1.8 billion young people living in developing countries are aggressively targeted by tobacco companies following stricter regulations in Europe and North America. “Africa has unfortunately been saddled with a number of diseases and we cannot afford a clearly avoidable addition manufactured by the tobacco industry,” he stressed. The Africa Tobacco Control Regional Initiative (ACTRI), supported by the Cancer Research, UK and American Cancer Society (ACS) organised the workshop for civil society groups in Anglophone African countries. The objective was to strengthen the knowledge of the tobacco control advocates and empower them to initiate actions to push for effective control policies within their countries. Tobacco shortens the lifespan of smokers by 25 years with about 70% of people who start smoking from their teens dying by 45.The Project Coordinator of ACTRI, Ms Sandra Moreira, noted the rise in the use of tobacco products among the youth and women is one of the most ominous developments of the tobacco epidemic in Africa. She said that since the continent had few resources for tobacco control, the challenge ahead was to put the FCTC in perspective. “ACTRI is working to promote the adoption, implementation and enforcement of effective in-country tobacco control policies and legislation, by providing institutional support and capacity building among tobacco control advocates and public health experts from the continent.” Currently, the FCTC has been signed by 42 and ratified by 35 African countries while national legislations are undergoing reviews in several African countries. In Ghana, the Ministry of Health is collaborating with other stakeholders to get the Tobacco Bill passed into law. This will give more meaning to the ratification of the WHO FCTC and will constitute a legal framework for the enforcement of tobacco control activities in Ghana.The WHO is encouraging member states and policy-makers to introduce a law that provides for a ban on all forms of advertisiments, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products. It is believed that a 100% smoke- free environment is the only means to protect people from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.
New report says Ghana is unlikely to meet MDGs
A new report has revealed that Ghana is highly unlikely to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. It states that if the country merely keeps up current rates of progress, only a small number of targets would be reached. According to the report, although there have been efforts to expand coverage of social interventions, real access remains patchy; significant pockets of communities and even entire districts lag behind the picture of progress portrayed by national aggregate statistics.SEND-Ghana and Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR) launched the report, “The Ghana Civil Society MDG Monitoring Report, 2008” at a ceremony in Accra. The report states that Ghana can foster real progress towards the MDGs when she adopts a much resolute effort to deepen the quality delivery and to diffuse the spread of relevant social policies. It focused on the performance and progress Ghana has made in achieving MDGs on health and education in selected districts. They are namely Kwahu North district in the Eastern Region, Bongo in the Upper East and Komenda Eguafo Edina Abirem in the Central region. Ultimately, the report is expected to facilitate advocacy to accelerate progress and to fine processes towards achieving the MDGs in Ghana. The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations-and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.The MDGs are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world’s main development challenges. Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education, Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women, Goal 4: Reduce child mortality, Goal 5: Improve maternal health, Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability and Goal 8 : Develop a Global Partnership for Development. Prof. Kwame Ninsin of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) during a review lauded the report, saying that it contains what policy makers refuse to see. On Education goals, MDGs 2 and 3, he noted that there have considerable inputs in access to education, especially at the lower levels due to interventions such as the Capitation Grant. Yet, he said there are certain challenges being faced by teachers and pupils because consistent efforts in official circles substitute quality with quantity. He stressed that policy makers should not confuse access with participation. He bemoaned that most schools do not have conditions for effective teaching and learning, with most classrooms dilapidated, inadequate textbooks and teaching aids and most children compelled to work before going to school. “Children should have encouraging reasons to remain in school and feel motivated by the environment to study.”According to Prof. Ninsin, state financing for basic education is declining, while the National Youth Employment Programme has become an instrument for dumping young women and men in schools in several villages. This, he described as an indictment on the government. With regard to girl child education, he said the principle to achieve gender parity had a negative impact. He said the policy has been pursued without regard to quality education and remarked that it is decay in particularly public rural schools. “We as citizens must be concerned about the decay in education system has a contribution in the worth of human beings, the youth.” He said education is a fundamental right of very child but the study failed to emphasize the fact education is a right to be provided by government. Looking at health MDG 4,5 and 6, Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies said the analyses suggest that health MDGs remain largely achievable if needed investments are made now, but then time is running fast. She said traditional beliefs and taboos continue to have adversely impact on health choices. However, she said the report would be very useful to propel the country to development.
DOVVSU records an increase of 423 cases in 2008
The crime rate in Accra increased 9.4 percent over last year with women leading the way as victims of domestic violence, according to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service (DOVVSU).DOVVSU handled a total of 4,904 cases in 2008, compared to 4,481 cases in 2007, an increase of 423.Assault cases overwhelmingly dominated the complaints with 2,122 cases reported at the end of December 2008. It also ranked high in 2007 with 2,172 cases. Inspector Irene Oppong, public affairs officer at DOVSSU, told Public Agenda that the unit continues to receive long lists of complaints, particularly assault cases due to the reluctance of people to change their attitude. “Some people feel that no matter what they do they will only be reported to DOVVSU and perhaps jailed for some few years,” she said.
Inspector Oppong, however, admitted that some people are beginning to know their rights due to the extensive public education the unit embarks on. “Sometimes people come for medical forms but fail to return them and would rather settle the issue at home. Apparently, they are unaware that settling defilement and other serious domestic cases at home is a crime, for which parties involved could be charged for abetment.”
Threat received the second highest number of reports last year with 600 cases. According to Inspector Oppong, some men feel that once the violent act has not been carried out it does not amount to crime. Cases of defilement came third with 552 complaints lodged at DOVVSU. Defilement involves cases of mainly adults having sexual intercourse under duress with minors or children below the age of 18. Offensive conduct was the fourth highest to be recorded with 359 cases.
Inspector Oppong said that when there is separation and the women go for money for the upkeep of the children and the men refuse to give them the money, the women resort to raining insults on the men. She appealed to women to desist from such acts and, instead, report the matter to the Social Welfare Department located on the premises of DOVVSU. The unit received 268 cases of stealing for the period under review. Rape cases recorded were 161. Abduction, which involves keeping a minor and having sex with her, stood at 146. A total of 107 cases of parents and guardians who failed to supply basic necessities of health and life were recorded. Some 87 cases of exposing children to harm were recorded. DOVVSU also reported 120 cases of causing unlawful damage, 59 cases of indecent assault, 10 cases of child trafficking, 15 of incest, 19 of criminal abortion, 21 of attempted abortion, 24 of attempted rape, 10 abandonment of child, 12 child stealing and 11 of unnatural carnal knowledge, including three of carnal knowledge of a mentally ill female. Lastly, there were three reports of kidnapping.Inspector Oppong called on all and sundry to be involved in the fight for better human rights.
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