The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, has urged Ghana, as a signatory to the UN Convention on discrimination against women, to stop the practice of Female genital Mutilation. The Commission says the practice inflicts serious injury to the conscience and psychology of the innocent victim with a long term negative consequence on their health and reproduction in particular.
A Registrar at the Ashanti Regional Office of CHRAJ, Charles Frimpong noted that with the acceptance and recognition of inter-tribal marriage and migration, the practice of FGM could gain grounds if serious measures including intensive public education on its dangers as well as the strict enforcement of the law are not put in place. He was speaking a workshop in Kumasi for some journalists and District Information Officers, on the way forward in the fight against FGM. Mr. Frimpong disclosed that a survey conducted by CHRAJ in endemic communities described the practice as a deliberate and gross violation of the basic human rights including dignity, respect as well as an invasion of the private part of the victims, subjecting them to long term trauma, which obstructs the victim’s acquisition of formal education.
He said if the practice is not stopped, the north-south migration of the youth in particular would increase, to worsen the development problem of the three regions of the north. On the way forward, Mr. Frimpong advocated the active involvement of unit Committees and assembly members of the endemic areas, while encouraging community watch dogs to expose the perpetrators for them to face the law.
The President of the Ghanaian Association for Women’s welfare, Mrs. Florence Ali said the Association will ensure the elimination of harmful cultural and social practices against women and children, like FGM. She said Ghana cannot achieve the Millennium Development Goals within the stipulated period if such practices are not stopped.
