TREAT WIVES AS EQUAL PARTNERS (PAGE 35)

From Emmanuel Modey, Hohoe

Fiaga Gabusu VI, President of the Volta House of Chiefs, has asked men to take their wives as equal partners. “Do not assault them but respect their views”.
Fiaga Gabusu said this at the end of a four-day workshop for 30 trained community paralegals organised by the International Federation of Women Layers (FIDA) and sponsored by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) at Hohoe. Each participant received a certificate at the end of the workshop.
He was averse to violence meted out to women and children by their husbands and fathers respectively and asked that husbands and fathers should show love and affection. He was grateful that FIDA was leading the crusade to open the eyes of both men and women on gender issues and asked them to carry on with their efforts.
The Resource Mobilisation Officer of FIDA, Mrs Susan Aryeetey, said her organisation had been involved in promoting and educating the general public on gender issues with the view to reducing domestic violence.
The paralegal training , she said, was one important part of their programme and this was to produce community leaders to help identify and address gender-based issues. She called for assistance and support for them to carry on their job.
The Assistant Representative of UNFPA, Mr Bawa Amadu, on behalf of Mr Makane Kane, UNFPA Representative in Ghana, stressed the importance of upholding the rights of women.
He said this was not a charity but an important means towards reducing poverty, improving the quality of life and achieving the goals of national development.
He, therefore, appealed to all to work together to ensure , promote and uphold the common well-being and full participation in the process.
For her part, the Volta Regional Director of the Department of Women, Ms Lena Alai, said the paralegals were being trained to implement laws of domestic violence at the community level to improve the life of all.
She advised them to arbitrate cases and refer them to the appropriate authorities for action.