MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S AFFAIRS P. O. BOX MBO 186, Ministries - Accra
PRESS RELEASE DEPUTY MINISTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S AFFAIRS VISITS SUSPECTED VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING The Deputy Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Hon. Hawawu Boya Gariba has advised parents and guardians against sending their young children and wards to areas within the country and across neighboring borders to engage in menial jobs. She added that any body found to be engaged in such acts would be arrested and prosecuted under the Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694). Hon Boya Gariba gave the advice when she visited suspected child victims of trafficking who were intercepted by the Police at Prampram on Sunday, 1 st August, 2010. The victims, numbering over 200, were being transported in three buses to Yeji during the time of interception. They are currently in the custody of the Police pending further investigations. The Deputy Minister assured the suspected victims that the Police was working to safe-guard their welfare and best interest and appealed to them to cooperate with the authorities to ensure a quick and lasting solution to the situation. She said that as children their main pre-occupation should be on their studies to enable them grow up to become responsible adults. Hon. Hawawu Boya Gariba stressed that it is the responsibility of parents to ensure the welfare and protection of their children and also to ensure that their children do not face any forms of abuse or exploitation. Any parent or guardian found engaged in child trafficking will face the full rigors of the law.
SIGNED: ADIZA OFORI-ADU (MRS.) PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER FOR: MINISTER MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S AFFAIRS P. O. BOX MBO 186, Ministries - Accra
PRESS RELEASE SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF YOUNG FEMALE ATHLETES
The Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs has taken note of worrying media reports of alleged incessant sexual harassment of young female athletes by their coaches. According to the reports, the situation which is rampant in Junior and Senior High Schools in Accra is discouraging many young girls from pursuing their desired sporting activities to the highest level. The young girls fail to report the incident due to fear of stigmatization and victimization. The Ministry strongly condemns this alleged irresponsible behavior of some sports coaches and calls on the Sports Unit of the Ghana Education Service to establish full scale investigations into the reports to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book. We also call on all school authorities and sports officials to take keen interest in the welfare and performance of young ladies who show promising talents in the sports field to ensure that these ladies develop their potential to the fullest without any intimidation or harassment from their coaches and trainers. It is unacceptable that some coaches will behave so irresponsibly and in the process cut short the dreams and aspirations of young female athletes while their own children have the opportunity to progress in their chosen careers. Young female athletes who face such harassments from their coaches are being entreated to report to their school authorities and, also, to the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs.
SIGNED: ADIZA OFORI-ADU (MRS.) PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER FOR: HON. MINISTER
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S AFFAIRS P. O. BOX MBO 186, Ministries - Accra
PRESS RELEASE REGIONAL MINISTER FREES NURSING MOTHER The Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs wishes to send out heartfelt appreciation to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Kofi Opoku Manu for going to the aid of Madam Yaa Yaa, the twenty-seven-year-old nursing mother and a native of Kyekyewere in the Afigya Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region. Madam Yaa Yaa was serving a 6-month prison term at the Kumasi Central Prisons, upon failing to pay a fine of GH¢200 and a GH¢200 compensation to a complainant after being convicted by the Kodie District court for offensive conduct. Mr. Kofi Opoku Manu learnt of the plight of Madam Yaa Yaa during a working visit to the Kumasi Prisons and assisted her in paying the fine to secure her release from the prison. Whilst expressing our gratitude to the Regional Minister for his kind gesture, we wish to advise all women, especially young nursing mothers to desist from unlawful acts which will lead them into such unfortunate situations. The well-being of our children and family depends largely on women. It is therefore imperative that we stay away from acts which are likely to affect the proper protection and development of our children and family.
SIGNED: ADIZA OFORI-ADU(MRS.) PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER FOR: HON. MINISTER
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S AFFAIRS P. O. BOX MBO 186, Ministries - Accra
The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), Hon. Hawawu Boya Gariba has expressed great worry about the existence of “witches” camps in the country and the poor conditions in which inhabitants of these camps live in, especially women and children. Hon. Hawawu Boya Gariba expressed the concern when she paid a visit to the Ngani ‘witches” camp near Yendi in the Northern Region to acquaint herself with conditions in the camp. The Hon. Deputy Minister said the incarceration and confinement of women into such camps by society and community members, constituted gross violation of their human rights and freedoms and was against the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women which Ghana is party to. She therefore called on societies and communities to, as a matter of urgency, put a stop to this practice. Madam Boya Gariba said the Ministry considered the existence of these camps as not only a violation of people’s human rights but also a national disaster and added that MOWAC is liaising with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to provide relief items in the form of food and clothing to inhabitants of the camp. The Deputy Minister said MOWAC in collaboration with other stakeholders is working assiduously to disband all “witches” camps in Ghana and called on community leaders and traditional authorities to provide their support in this direction. The Ngani “witches” camp is inhabited by 488 women and 41 men who have been accused of being “witches” and abandoned in the camp by members of their families and communities. There are also over 100 children in the camp. Most of these children had to accompany their accused mothers and grandmothers during their incarceration to the Camp. ADIZA OFORI-ADU (MRS.)
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S AFFAIRS P. O. BOX MBO 186, Ministries - Accra
We believe that having reached this height through hard work and commitment to her party, Madam Samia Nkrumah would serve as a good role model to many young women to aspire to high positions not only in the area of politics but also in other spheres of the country’s development. We are confident that she would undertake her duties efficiently and remarkably and wish her well in all her endeavors. We wish to also congratulate Madam Susanna Adu-Amankwa and Madam Rodaline Ayarna who have been elected First Vice-Chairperson and Second Vice Chairperson respectfully and all female candidates who vied for various positions at the keenly contested CPP Congress. Once again, we say congratulations! HON. MRS. JULIANA AZUMAH-MENSAH
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