No disrespect to Dr. James Emmanuel Kwegyir Aggrey who said, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. If you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” The preeminent Ghanaian scholar, educator and missionary as I highly suspect must have been well intended with his words. I disagree however with the good Doctor. Practically, when you educate a girl you educate a girl and that is how it should be seen. The role education plays in the life of women should not be seen [only] in light of how the nation benefits. Women/girls should be educated for the simple reason that they are people.

In conversation with Rita Nketiah, a Pan-African feminist activist and a friend, she makes a salient point, “so much of the mainstream discourse on women's human rights in Africa/Global South centres on this notion that "a healthy women = a healthy nation" or that when we empower the girl-child, we empower the nation...I’m bothered by this”, she adds, “This line of thinking still reduces womyn and girls' values to that of reproducers of the nation-state. Can’t you just empower me because I am a human being? Why does my empowerment have to be tied to how useful my womb is for the nation? I feel that the healthy womon/healthy nation argument is meant to get a mainstream buy-in but still relies on traditional gender norms”, Rita Nketiah (Skype chat February 12, 2012).

Why do women need an added reason beyond humanness to be educated? I am certainly not belittling the role women play in development of a nation, neither will I condone any dubious interpretation of what I infer was a well intended speech by Dr. Aggrey. To be fair, I ask a friend and a graduate student from the Centre of African Studies of the University of Copenhage about his thoughts on Dr. Aggrey’s statement, he says, “often in a patriarchy, the man is out working, but it is the woman who takes care of the children. She spends the most time with them. If the man is somewhat educated he will send his boys to school, while the girls will perhaps join the basic [school] but drop out when reaching higher level like JHS [Junior High School]. She [the girl-child] is needed elsewhere and she is not going to be the prime-provider anyhow. However, if the mother is somewhat educated the chance the girl will continue school enhances. This can lead the way for more equality. Why would men allow for more competition that can affect their position negatively? This is not [just in] Africa; across the world the men are still having the good positions. Very few countries have had or have a female head of state. My country [Demark] has had one and she got elected four months ago. Perhaps the quote simply underlines the importance in educating women; women affect society greatest since women are the ones raising the children while the men spend time working or in worse situation drinking”. Mathias Søgaard (Facebook chat February 12, 2012).

The thoughts of my good friend Mr. Søgaard are noble, he believes as do I that we need to create a platform for equality. But my somewhat twisted interpretation of his explanation of Dr. Aggrey quote is, “Dear woman, we are going to give you breakfast everyday because we want your breast to develop so we can suck them. If per any chance you derive benefits from your developed breast that is fine, but remember, that your breast were developed to be sucked, that is the whole point here. Thank you, with love and believe in equality, signed, Breastless humans”. This is not a personal attack on Mathias’s analysis. Unquestionably, the popular notion is, to create a platform for equality we must emphasize the important role women play in a thing we have come to depend on like a nation. Nonetheless, consciously or unconsciously what we are really saying is ‘the develop your breast let me suck them’ analogy.

Why must there be the need for philosophical innuendos when it comes to educating womankind? Like Ms Nketah said, why must it be pegged against the survival of the nation? Will we only educate a woman because the nation needs her? Or must we educate womankind for the same reason we educate men? When we engage in overstatements, oversimplification, and obfuscation, we endanger the very cause we are fighting for, EQUALITY.

I see the logic in dramatizing the need in educating women, particularly to diehard believers in patriarchy. Nevertheless, such dramatization (however well intended) puts a needless burden on the already over burdened woman. So now, if the nation fails is it women who have failed? Will educating women and leaving men out still keep the nation in the balance we need it to be? Education, Gender and Nation Building are mutually exclusive with none less significant. If our goal is equity in education then that is what we should point to.

My argument is, women are important because they are people. Women should be encouraged to reach their highest not because of the nation, but for their own sakes. Without formal education and without our asking them to, many women have lighted so many paths to development. Women will continue to do what women will do. Women think about and act towards national/global development because they are people. Yaa Asantewaa, did without any formal education. Many women are developing the nation with or without formal education. Education is education for its own sake, the nation is the nation for its own sake and women are women, shall be women for our own sakes.

In the end, if you educate a man you educate an individual, if you educate a woman you educate and individual, and because all individuals are important why would you leave anyone out?

The Director General of the Ghana AIDS commission, Dr. Angela El-Adas has revealed that the Ghana AIDS Commission will re-launch the female condoms into the system this month. There has been an acute shortage of the female condom in the country. One may consider this a good thing if it means more young women were protecting themselves against sexually transmitted diseases.

However the shortage of female condoms on the market cannot be attributed to awareness in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. According to Dr. El-Adas, instead of using condoms during sexual intercourse, some people use the rings on the female condoms as bangles, ear rings, and fittings for designing Kaba shirts.

The Ghana AIDS commission lunched their “Heart To Heart” campaign December last year. The Campaign aims to create awareness on sexual health and reproductive rights issues. At the lunch, Dr. El-Adas said, “we are importing a large batch of female condoms and in partnership with the Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service, we are re-introducing it [female condoms] to the people in the country come January by which time we will have enough stock.

Would it make any difference if the Ghana AIDS Commission buys more female condoms, would it not just mean, more bangles and ear rings and other such material which are made by the inappropriate use of the female condoms? Yet for sexual health and reproductive rights advocates it is important for female condoms to be available on the market all the time while we try to educate people against using for other things apart from sexual intercourse.

Dr. El-Adas however assures us that the new set of female condoms to arrive this month cannot be used as jewelry if the rings are removed “This one that we are bringing is the type that you cannot make use of the rings, if you take them out of the condoms.”

Amidst funding cuts from the Global Fund for the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in the country, government has announced that all infected mothers or pregnant mothers will be put on treatment as a measure of preventing mother to Child infections.

Vice President John Mahama made this known recently during the celebration of World Aids day. He added government will make money available to the Ghana AIDS Commission to enable those estimated to be affected by the funding cuts to be taken care off.

“Government is alive to its responsibilities and will ensure that money is made available to the Aids Commission so we don’t jeopardize the lives of the unfortunate ones” vice president Mahama said.

It is estimated that over 10 thousand persons will be added on to the current number of infected persons across the country, however the funding cut announced by the Global Fund will have it that those to be added on cannot be treated if alternative funding is not found.

In the face of this eminent difficulty government says all infected mothers regardless of the cuts from the Global Funds will be put on anti-retroviral drugs and other treatments to ensure that the “innocent child is protected from the virus”.

“The most painful infection that can ever happen is to a new born innocent child, just because their mother is infected does not mean the child must be infected and so one our targets is to put all infected mothers on anti-retroviral to reduce their chances of passing the virus to their new born babies”, vice president Mahama said.

The measure which the vice president says will be implemented is contained in a new strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS 2011-2015 which aims at three main factors, one of which is virtual elimination of mother to Child transmission.

To achieve this aim there is presently a plan to expand testing of pregnant women so they are identified early to prevent mother to child transmission.

This new strategic plan has been launched already and implementation is contingent on money being made available and government says they will provide the money regardless of the challenges ahead.

The Second aim of the strategy which is threatened by the funding cut is to reduce by 50 percent the number of new infections by 2015. The third aim is to have access to treatment scaled.

Whilst acknowledging the successes that have been achieved in fighting HIV and AIDS, Vice President Mahama warned of retrogression if those gains are not protected.

He said the cut in funding to the Global fund because progress has been made globally in fighting the disease maybe allowing some false security to set in. Mr Mahama indicated that already Government has made a commitment of a 150 million Ghana cedi’s for the implementation of the national Strategic Plan 2011-2015.

On what will be happening to the shortfall in treatment due to the imminent dwindling of funds from the Global fund, the Vice President assured that “Government will make funding available to cover the nearly 20,000 persons who are to join treatment this year”.

He further assured persons living with the virus that “we will find innovative funding methods to ensure that anti-retroviral are available beyond 2014”.

Testing for status he urged should be done by all so the level of protection and consciousness will be enhanced.

The Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (NAP+ GHANA) on Thursday joined persons living with HIV (PLHIV) globally to commemorate 2011 World AIDS Day.

“We stand united with our fellow PLHIV and the global HIV and AIDS community by fully supporting the vision of ‘Getting to Zero’,” Charity Owusu Danso, Vice President of NAP+ GHANA said.

“UNAIDS has spearheaded this global effort by focusing on the achievement of three targets by 2015 – Zero new HIV infections; Zero discrimination; Zero AIDS-related deaths,” he said.

The Ghana National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2011-2015 is aligned with the strategy of “Getting to Zero”.

At the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS in New York, last June Vice President John Dramani Mahama announced Ghana’s commitment to add $100 million to the Plan.

“The 2012 annual budget does not reflect any of the promised $100 million,” said Clement Azigwe, President of NAP+ GHANA.

“We are extremely worried. Every day, we receive reports from PLHIV across the country that anti-retroviral are out of stock or that hospitals or clinics won’t give HIV treatment to new patients because there aren’t even enough drugs for existing patients.”

For a number of years now, a significant portion of funds to support Ghana’s efforts to fight HIV and AIDS have come from international development partners, especially the United States government and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The fallout from the Board meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was held in Accra.

The next round of grants (Round 11) was cancelled making it urgent for the government of Ghana to fulfill its commitment.

In July, results from a scientific study were released proving that treating HIV-positive people with anti-retroviral drugs can reduce the risk of transmission by 96 per cent.

“It’s ironic that while we have the hard evidence about the power of HIV treatment, we don’t have the needed funds to protect people and save more lives,” Charles Oppong, NAP+ GHANA Programme Manager noted.

He stressed: “Our dream is to wake up knowing that all PLHIV who need it receive the treatment they need. We want to believe that our government didn’t just make empty promises in New York.”

NAP+GHANA is a network of member associations representing persons living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana.

It was established in 2005, to represent the views, hopes and aspirations of PLHIV across the country.

NAP+GHANA aims to improve the quality of lives of PLHIV through effective participation in national policy and programme dialogue, information sharing, collaboration with partners, advocacy and capacity strengthening.

The core partners of the organisation includes Ghana AIDS Commission, AIDS Control Programme, USAID Ghana FHI 360 Fund, Adventist Development and Relief Agency, World Education Ghana and UNAIDS.

The Legon LEO club on the University of Ghana campus as part of activities to mark World Aids Day took to the streets to share condoms and other materials containing information on HIV – AIDS to students.

Speaking to Univers News, the first Vice President of the club, explained the motive was to create awareness about the disease.

"THE AIDS THREAT"

A Former Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission Prof Sakyi Awuku Amoah is warning of a looming crises in the country if the government doesn’t act fast in the wake of aid cut to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

His warning comes at a time when the Global Fund which has paid for about 70 per cent of Ghana’s anti-HIV campaign activities has announced withdrawing its support for the treatment of the disease by 2013 because of the global financial crises.

There are concerns the withdrawal of support could worsen the plight of people living with the disease. As world AIDs Day is observed today, Prof Amoah, who is also chairman of the Association of People Living with the disease says there will be crisis if nothing is done after the aid cut.

He says the country must look internally for funding, suggesting the establishment of a national fund to support HIV/AIDs treatment. 
SOURCE: UNIVERS NEWS

It is important Ghana’s ministry of education learns that, it is not possible to educate a person by miseducating them.

I wondered what it meant when I read, “Education Ministry to check homosexuality in schools”, how would the education ministry ‘check’ heterosexuality for instance? -- if it doesn't make sense to ‘check’ heterosexuality, why does the ministry think it makes sense to ‘check’ homosexuality.

What does ‘check’ mean?

According to a news item, the Ministry of Education is optimistic homosexuality in the country’s Junior High and Senior High Schools will soon be a thing of the past.

Paul Krampah, the Ministry's Public Relations Officer, in an interview with XFM stated that the Ministry's HIV/AIDS Secretariat has trained teachers who in turn act as facilitators to educate students on the menace of homosexuality and its adverse consequences including HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

“the menace of homosexuality?” how is homosexuality a menace? And why are we centering HIV/AIDS education on homosexuality?

The Ministry of Education says according to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVSSU) of the Ghana Police Service more teenage boys in the country's Junior High Schools are becoming victims of sexual abuse.

I have said this so many times that I am getting tired of saying it-- when a boy is abused by an older man, the man is a pedophile not a homosexual, he could be a pedophile who is homosexual but would it be sane to call a rapist heterosexual for abusing a little girl?

DOVSSU says many of these young boys abused in schools and their families are reluctant to report such cases to the police. The unit is thus concerned about health implication this may have on the boys.

If the unit is really concerned about ‘the health of the boys’ action should therefore focused on that. Thinking homosexuality equals abuse and therefore, a ‘menace’ that ought to be ‘checked’ is the wrong way of going about seeing to the health needs of students.

As a means to check the spread of HIV/AIDS in children, there have been calls on governments to make Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) compulsory within the national curriculum.

This is an important call, which the government should act upon quickly. My only fear is the kind of wrong information students may be bombarded with by untrained and bigoted teachers.

According to campaigners, putting SRE at the heart of the curriculum, rather than as just an optional add-on, would help ensure young people are equipped with the knowledge and confidence to protect themselves (and others) from HIV, while making them aware of the realities of living with HIV today.

Paul Krampah said it was in this regard the HIV/AIDS secretariat was established, saying, "if you want somebody to be well vested in an issue, there is the need to train facilitators; the teachers have been trained and they are facilitating the training of students". -- my question is, what exactly are they telling the students?

"The schools on regular basis educate the students on the menace of homosexuality. The schools have intensified their training programs. We are very optimistic that in time things will change and the incidence of homosexuality in the country will be a thing of the past”. The minister said. --This clearly is miseducation.

He added that statistics show that HIV and AIDS have affected young gay men more than any other group of people. -- It is true that men who have sex with men are amongst the groups that HIV and AIDS is prevalent, so teach boys how to practice safer sex.

Half baked, ill-prepared HIV/AIDS awareness creation messages and campaigns are only going to get us in deep waters. Why is the focus on homosexuality and boys only? Why are we looking to punish homosexuals instead of listening to the sexual needs of young boys and girls in our schools and try to give them access to information and facilities that will aid them in making the right choices?

Safe sex, safer sex or abstinence, why can’t we trust that young people can make the choice for themselves if we put the options before them?

Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Ali Muntari has joined forces with his wife Menaye and her foundation Menaye Charity Organisation to create awareness and to fight against the HIV and AIDS.

On occasion of World AIDS Day, the couple challenged Ghanaians especially the youth to always practice safe sex. Menaye called for a preventive attitude towards sexually transmitted diseases. She reiterated the saying “prevention is better than cure”.

Menaye said “at the end of 2010 there were 34 million people in the world living with HIV or AIDS. In my home country of Ghana, a quarter of a million people are infected with the disease, and whilst education and medical provision is improving all the time, the condition continues to devastate lives and families. Hundreds of thousands of children in Ghana have lost at least one parent to the disease and many more have been left as orphans. The numbers are truly staggering, but behind each statistic is a personal story of tragedy. Hearing these stories first hand from orphans that I have met in Ghana are both heart-breaking and incredibly moving. My charity, the Menaye Charity Organisation, has, over the years, provided financial support to a number of orphanages across Ghana. A few years ago, when I was visiting one of the orphanages, I met a little boy who was infected with HIV after his mother passed it down to him. His mother and father had both already died of the disease and so the little boy was left to fight each day without the support of his family. The orphanages in Ghana do incredible work, literally saving lives every day, but they are no substitute for a healthy, happy family life. The fact that the possibility to grow up with these basics of human life had been taken away from this little boy before he was even out of the womb, is truly devastating. What is worse is that it is so unnecessary. With better education, screening, and medical care, so many more lives could be saved. One of the major problems in Ghana, and again something that I have witnessed firsthand, is the lack of knowledge about prevention of the infection spreading. In some areas the use of contraceptives is not only not known about, it is sometimes actively discouraged. There is also a lack of awareness about the way HIV and AIDS is spread to unborn children. What is needed is more education, easier access to protection and better medication. It is not an easy task, but together, we can improve the situation."

On his part, Muntari said “giving back to my community in Ghana is something that is very important to me and my wife Menaye and I are still supporting the Menaye Charity Organization which supports the work of several orphanages in central Ghana, helping to provide food and medication to AIDS infected orphans. As it’s World AIDS Day today I just wanted to take a second to raise some awareness about the disease and say that if you have a spare moment today, think about those less fortunate and whether there is anything you can do to help.”

 A legislator in Ghana's Parliament Gifty Ohene Konadu has jumped to the defence of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who has served notice to anti-gay African states to relax laws on homosexuals or face aid cut from the UK.

Cameron has come under intense lampoon across Africa for what many describe as interference in the affairs of sovereign nations of the continent and a clear disregard for African culture.

However, speaking to Citi News on Tuesday, Honourable Konadu said she wonders why some people are riled up by Mr Cameron’s message. She added that homosexuals are human beings who must enjoy their rights and not to be condemned.

According to the MP for Asante Akim South, the comment made by the UK premier calls for a sober analysis for the appropriate conclusions to be drawn and not for Ghanaians to condemn him in a scathing and vitriolic manner.

“I don’t understand why people are talking about just one set of people. .. in any case these are human beings and they must enjoy their rights," the MP argued. "So we should not just condemn it. We should look at it and give it the merit that it deserves."

"I will stand in the middle, I will not pass any judgement as to whether it is good or bad. Every issue has its merit and demerit and we should think through it critically and analyse it before we start making noise and condemning it left and right.”

Asked whether homosexuality should be legalised, Honourable Konadu stated that the issue is a broad one that must be debated and critically analysed before a firm decision can be taken.

The British Prime Minister’s comment has been received with strong condemnation from Ghanaians asking the UK to keep its aid if such conditionality is enforced.

The government of Ghana is yet to make an official statement on the matter, but the Minister of Trade and Industry, Hannah Tetteh, has already indicated that Cameron's threat is unacceptable and that Ghana would not kowtow to any amount of pressure to change its rules to allow same sex relationships.


source: citifmonline.com

 Teenage pregnancy calls for the attention of Ghanaians. At the end of the academic year when students take their Basic Education Certification Examination (BECE), we often hear on the news about some girls turning up to write their papers pregnant. Statistics differ in different regions of Ghana; for example in the Eastern region alone, 33 females failed to sit their exam as a result of pregnancy in 2009.

The Western region also recorded 572 teenage pregnancies with girls as young as 10 getting pregnant and dropping out of schools. In the Ashanti Region at least 5 girls have sat their BECE while pregnant and a minimum of 3 have entered written their papers as mothers. The average age of these girls is 12. The statistics are much higher and worrisome in other regions of Ghana.

Unfortunately teenagers who get pregnant are solely blamed for their condition. They become “bad girl” at the mercy of societies scorn. Instead of providing a support system they are punished, some are kicked out of their homes while others are ridiculed by the hour. One would think perhaps it is possible for girls to get pregnant all by themselves. In recent news, a mother in the Northern region butchered her 22 year old pregnant daughter. Murder suddenly becomes less of a crime in the eyes of a disappointed mother as though pregnancy ever where a crime.

Teenage births form a high percentage of the total births in the country. Poor education on sexual health and reproductive health rights is wrecking the lives of many girls in Ghana. The nonexistence of a supportive system for pregnant girls encourages unsafe abortions, complications and deaths. Good nutritional therapy and ante-natal care is often not mentioned as rights for pregnant girls. Many girls and women after giving birth are not able to continue their education. Without encouraging teenage girls to get pregnant, I insist that teenage pregnancy is not a crime and should not be a burden of the girl alone. Sex education and making condoms accessible to both girls and boys is the best way to reduce the rates of teen pregnancy.

 In Ghana, young people who call themselves “foot soldiers” are angry. They have threats for their party leadership and the government they elected. In Arab there is a revolution and in London, a rampage we all haven’t yet forgotten about. All these events tells us one thing; we do not need a high level UN confab for the world to know that paying lip service to issues of youth development spells nothing but trouble for our already stressed planet.

As the world continues to feel the impact of the economic crisis, youth respond by looking for solutions. Young people who believe in non-violence are more than those who do not. Inclusion and full participation of youth is key to a sustainable existence as this year’s theme spells “sustainability, our challenge, our future.”

Sexual health and reproductive rights often de-emphasized remains a major concern among young people. A healthy and just global sexual climate energizers young people to face up to other changes; we will not be able to tackle our economic challenges if we do not, as stated in the African youth charter, “secure the full involvement of youth in indentifying their reproductive and health needs and designing programs that respond to these needs with special attention to vulnerable and disadvantaged youth”

The former President of Ghana, JJ Rawlings, said sustaining a progressive march towards a more inclusive role by the youth in national affairs is the responsibility of all sectors of the economy. He added that he hopes this year celebration of world youth day will serve as an inspiration for the future.

Young people in Ghana (as across the globe) as part of our strategy to mobilize greater commitment to addressing youth sexual health and reproductive rights concerns, seeks to partner with leaders who have prioritize these issues at political levels. Unfortunately, there are not too many such leaders to be counted.

Our leader can start from dedicating 15% of our national budget to health as per the Abuja declaration.

Happy International Youth day! to all young people working towards a better world.