Gender
‘Domestic abuse still rife in Upper West amid COVID-19 pandemic’
Whilst frontline workers are battling to save the lives of patients from the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection in the country, some wives in the Upper West Region are also battling their husbands over too much sexual demands as a result of the CODVID-19 stay-home protocol.
The high demand for sex has been fueled by the inability of some men to patronise other women such as commercial sex workers and ‘side chics’ in addition to their wives, due to the fear of contracting the disease in the process, and therefore have to rely solely on their wives for sexual satisfaction.
A Station Officer at the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Upper West Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service, Inspector Stella Niabi, who disclosed this at a meeting at Wa said this had led to physical abuse of some of the women who had refused their husbands sex.
Inspector Niabi was speaking at the launch of a Reproductive Health programme dubbed “Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence” (SRHR/SGBV) campaign by a non-governmental organisation, Plan International Ghana, at Wa last week.
The campaign would among other things ensure access to SRHR services as well as protect vulnerable groups, such as women and girls from abuse, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Wives have been sexually abused by their husbands because they denied them access to their bodies after they had had enough of the” stay-home” sex, especially during the lock down because of the fear of contracting the disease, the men say they are unable to patronise other women,” she said.
She stated that most of those cases were treated as civil cases and were resolved through counselling and other negotiation alternatives that had yielded positive results to the satisfaction of the parties.
Inspector Niabi explained that the CODVID-19 break from school had also led to quite a number of teenage pregnancies and sexual abuse of children in the region.
“Most of these teenage pregnancy cases come to us because the victims come to report the men who deny the pregnancies after they have put those innocent girls in the family way,” she said.
Touching on other abuses, the Station Officer said girls had become more vulnerable in the CODVID-19 season as they were over burdened with house chores and other responsibilities whilst their male counterparts idled about.
She explained that the girls were in some cases subjected to beating when they were unable to perform the many responsibilities they were assigned to at home whilst the males went scot free even after doing nothing the whole day.
“We have these and several other reports of abuses at home due to CODVID-19 pandemic, and so we are very grateful to Plan International Ghana for introducing a programme that would cater for these developments,” she added.
On his part, the District Development Coordinator of the Upper West Regional Programme Unit of Plan International Ghana, Mr Kamaldeen Iddrisu, hinted that the rampant media reportage on sexual and gender-based abuse informed their decision as an organisation to introduce a programme to address these issues.
“We have trained some young ladies from Wa, Sissala East, Wa West, Wa East and Sissala West Municipal and District Assemblies on the making of re-usable nose masks as well as sanitary pads to help them earn income in this CODVID-19 season to limit their dependence on men and subsequently limit abuse,” he said.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
Gender
Beyond the flavours: the hidden dangers of shisha smoking
On a hot Sunday afternoon, the Labadi beach or other leading beaches are filled with people from all walks of life, both foreigners and Ghanaians alike.
Children are seen playing in the sand while adults enjoy some food and drinks or bath in the sea amidst loud music.
Traders, horse riders and pub owners would also cash in, pitching their business to revellers at the beach.
As dusk settles in, some people would leave while others troop in, with the place becoming livelier as the beach is filled with a lot more people.
The atmosphere is choked with an unusual smell of smoke; a smoke emanating from random tables on the beach.
It is usually from a flavoured water pipe popularly known as shisha, sitting on the tables and used mostly by women who shared the same tube with friends on the same table.
This is often the sight at most beaches on holidays or weekends.
An attendant at the Labadi beach, told this writer that, shisha was mostly taken by women and the price ranges from GH¢50 to GH¢70 at the beach.
She also said the price is higher at other places saying “you can also get it from GH¢100 to GH¢200.
This mirrors what happens at other beaches, clubs, pubs and social gatherings across the capital and the country at large.
Shisha, also known as hookah or water pipe, is another form of combustible smoking of tobacco, where flavoured tobacco is burned with charcoal, while the smoke is guided through water via tube before it is inhaled by the smoker.
The intention behind the passage of tobacco smoke through water is to filter the smoke to make it safer. Also, the added flavour, mostly fruity, is to enhance the packaging and improve desirability.
This type of smoking was invented in ancient India, and it has remained a tradition to the Middle East, and a common practice for hundreds of years.
It is estimated that, globally, about 100 million people smoke shisha on a daily basis and most of these are adolescents, high school students, and university students.
Shisha smoking has become a common practice in social gatherings, generally shared in a group of four and five individuals and usually lasts from 20 to 80 minutes with 50–200 puffs per session.
The use of Shisha with tobacco products leads to particulate matter such as nicotine, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide. The presence of nicotine in smoke is the primary cause of dependence on tobacco-related products, hence its addiction.
The Ghanaian Times newspaper reported on November 6, 2024 that a new survey by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that more young women in the country were engaged in various forms of smoking on a daily basis than their male counterparts, resulting in cancer, heart and lung-related diseases in recent times.
It said WHO noted that while traditional cigarette smoking may be on the low, ‘Shisha,’ was rife particularly among persons 18 to 29 years, across the country.
“More than half of current tobacco smokers report smoking on a daily basis. Among daily smokers, 73.6 per cent smoked manufactured cigarette with individuals consuming three sticks of manufactured cigarettes per day on the average.
Among daily smokers, younger persons began smoking at an earlier age compared to their older counterparts. The proportion of current smokers who smoke shisha is 7.8 per cent, which is more prevalent among age group 18 to 29 years and highest among women,” it revealed.
Principal Investigator and Deputy Director of Disease Surveillance at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Dennis Laryea, expressed concern over the increasing rate of females smoking shisha in the country which holds dire consequences for the future.
“Once females take up something, it’s easier to drag the males along. And once we’re seeing this in younger women, it also means that they are likely to grow up with it and that is a potential risk for our development,” he stated.
Dr Laryea disclosed that while ‘Shisha’ may be portrayed as a trendy, favourable substance, it was highly harmful as it contained chemical which could be more dangerous to one’s health due to the longer smoking sessions. In an interview with the Principal Regulatory Officer with the Tobacco Products Department of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mavis Danso on Friday, she said Shisha is legal because it is a tobacco product but its smoking is not allowed in public areas.
She explained that smoking of shisha is only allowed in designated areas, adding that it is so because tobacco products are scientifically known to cause a lot of illnesses which includes Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
“Once you smoke as an individual, you put yourself at risk and also endanger the people around you who also inhale your smoke which is called second-hand smoke,” she stated.
She again explained that the smoke coming out of the nostrils of the one smoking and also from the end of the cigarette or from the Shisha device, inhaled by those around is known as secondary smoking and also endangers the lives of the latter.
So in order for government to protect its citizenry, there is a law on ban of smoking at public places except in designated smoking area saying “you are not supposed to endanger other people once you are smoking.”
Ms Danso said, the department often engage in routine monitoring which includes at night as well as public education to ensure enforcement of the law
She mentioned that, her department also relies on voluntary complains from the public, stating that, citizens were expected to be enforcers of the law by reporting to the FDA or question the owner of the place.
She was optimistic of Ghana becoming a Shisha free country but said it will not only depend on enforcers but also on facility owners and vigilant individuals who ensure that the right thing was done.
Ms Danso said there was a high prevalence of shisha smoking among women as well as a misconception that shisha was better than smoking, a notion she described as untrue.
She mentioned that an hour use of shisha was equivalent to smoking 200 sticks of cigarettes.
Ms Danso also mentioned that the idea that it passes through water and the contaminants remained in the water was false and that once the substance is taken, it affects the entire body.
According to her, there was the tendency of it being additive due to nicotine found in it and also has risk factors such as heart and lung diseases and also cancers, adding that “there is no safe form of tobacco, whether smoked, inhaled or whatever forms it comes in, it is harmful and can cause serious health implications to the body.”
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), shisha also known as water pipe tobacco smoking was probably associated with oral, oesophageal and lung cancers and possibly with gastric and bladder cancers.
It said, shisha has also been associated with respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, periodontal disease, low birth weight, perennial rhinitis, male infertility, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and impairment of mental health.
With women, shisha can cause higher risk of preterm menstrual pause, reduced bone mineral density, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy; it is also associated with a higher rate of infant mortality and can lead to intrauterine growth restriction and the rise of certain chromosomal anomalies.
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) three which states “good health and well-being” targets reduction in the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being by 2030.
This can be achieved when government and its health agencies, non-governmental organisations and individuals help enforce existing laws on shisha smoking.
Also, workshops, seminars should be organised by various stakeholders for young women focusing on the dangers of shisha, utilise social media platforms to raise awareness about risks of Shisha while sharing engaging content and personal stories and also create safe space and engaging recreational spaces for young women offering alternatives to shisha cafes and bars.
More so, it is important for facility owners to obey the laws on shisha smoking while the citizenry reports offenders to the FDA for appropriate punishments.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Gender
Naa Ayele Osabu leads initiative to groom teenagers
Naa Ayele Osabu
An initiative to inspire the next generation, especially teenagers, by indulging them in after-school activities and programmes, is set to be launched on Saturday, November 30, 2024.
It would be launched by the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.
Dubbed, “Heal the world/Make it a better place”, the initiative undertaken by a youth based non-governmental organisation, would involve teenagers aged 11-17 years and selected from schools in the catchment area.
Speaking to The Spectator, Naa Ayele Osabu, the lead of the initiative, said it targeted kids in the Ga communities because there was a high prevalence rate of teenage pregnancy and school dropouts in those communities.
Additionally, she explained that with the introduction of the after-school programmes and activities such as karate, arts and crafts, the kids would have an experience that fostered discipline, sparked creativity, and develop their mental capacity to become more productive in their communities.
Furthermore, Naa Osabu said experts and professionals in respective programmes would be available to enrol participants and engage them.
The initiative, she said, was a long-term project to roll out in many other communities globally and therefore urged all stakeholders to support to ensure its successful implementation.
Naa Osabu, who owns Ayele Kelewele (a local food restaurant) has had one of the most challenging experiences as a child. “It’s during these tough times that I figured it would be best to make an impact in the society while the business is yet to blossom, hence this initiative.”
“Being a Ga girl, I know the challenges a lot of these young kids face on daily basis. This project will give these kids in the Ga community an opportunity that will, equip them with skills, spark their creativity and achieve the dreams they never thought will be possible,” she stated.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY