Vea (UE), April 11, GNA - Chiefs from four communities in the Bongo District in the Upper East Region, have pledged their support to work towards reforming certain negative cultural practices against women. The chiefs were the Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naaba Baba Salifu Aleemyarom, Naaba Peter Apiniyeh Anaudgo, the Chief of Gowere, Naaba Thomas Azubila, chief of Vea and Naaba Bonsong Dogpoya of Nyariga.

They made the pledge in a statement signed by them at Vea after a durbar of organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers. The durbar was aimed at sensitizing the communities on rights of women, outmoded socio-cultural practices and domestic violence. It was also aimed at getting chiefs involved in the crusade against human rights violation of women.

The chiefs promised to assist women to enjoy their fundamental human rights in their communities by working to reform negative cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), elopement, early marriage, widowhood rites and inheritance, dowry and expensive funerals. The chiefs indicated that they would ensure that cases of rape, defilement, and other high crimes were handled by the appropriate quarters and not by their courts.

They said they would adopt measures to ensure that women gained access to justice at the community level and also encourage men to see women as partners in development. The paramount chief of Bongo noted that women played a significant role in national development and if given the necessary push they could be more useful.

Mr David Atinga the Regional Coordinator of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, noted that majority of women in the traditional home had no access to justice and were being abused. He noted that whenever there was misunderstanding between women and their husbands, only men discussed the issues without a female representative. He called on the traditional authorities to advocate for a change since society was becoming dynamic.