The Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs has noted with shock the murder of a 14-year old boy named Paul for ritual purposes by his father at Ankaase, a farming community near Derma in the Brong Ahafo Region.

According to a report in the Daily Guide of 30th July, 2009, the boy was allegedly beheaded by his father, a farmer who is known in the community as Naa, with the intention of giving it to a business man to perform rituals for him to become rich.

On the day of the incident the suspect was said to have picked up a quarrel with his wife after which he drove her and her two-year old son away from the house in order to carry out the act. The suspect was arrested by the Derma Police after a report was made about the disappearance of Paul and upon interrogation he led the Police to where the boy had been buried. He also subsequently led them to his house where he had kept Paul’s decapitated head.

The Ministry strongly condemns this gruesome murder and wish to call on the Derma Police to expedite investigations into the case to ensure that the suspect and all other persons found to have played a role in the gruesome murder of the boy face the necessary action.

The Children’s Act stipulates in Section 6(2) that “Every child has a right to life, dignity, respect, leisure, liberty, health, education and shelter from his parents”. It is therefore unacceptable that a father who is supposed to protect his child from harm would murder the child in this heinous manner.

HON. AKUA SENA DANSUA, MP AND
MINISTER

30TH JULY, 2009

SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSIONER CALLS ON HON. MINISTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S AFFAIRS

The Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs, Hon. Akua Sena Dansua has commended women of South Africa for their bravery, assertiveness and immense contributions towards the development of their country.

Parliamentarians from African, Asian, European and G8 countries participated in the fifth annual G8 International Parliamentarians’ Conference in Rome, Italy from June 22nd-23rd 2009, ahead of the G8 Summit in L’Aquila and called upon G8 Heads of State and Governments to keep their commitments towards improving global health, especially women and girls health issues, notwithstanding the current economic crisis.

The Conference was held under the theme “Strategic Investments in Times of Crisis – The Rewards of Making Women’s Health a Priority”.

The conference was attended by over 100 participants including Parliamentarians, observers, and speakers who delivered addresses on various topics. Participants came from over 34 countries including Spain, Germany, Italy, Philippines, France, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Uganda and Ghana.

At the end of the Conference, a Communiqué was issued which among other things recalled the international commitment to improve maternal health (MDG 5) and to reduce child mortality (MDG 4) as well as to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015 as set out in the Programme of Action from the International Conference on Population and Development and as a target under Millennium Development Goal 5 but noted with concern that:

• MDGs 4 and 5 are the Millennium Development Goals most off track and progress to achieve these goals has been stalled,
• more than 536,000 women and girls die during pregnancy and childbirth every year – one every minute of which 99% occur in developing countries,