Rhoda Doku, a Ghanaian Communication and Development Specialist has urged Ghanaians to be careful in differentiating between being vocal and being rude.

Speaking on the topic, “Impact of the Ghanaian Culture on ‘Her’ Women”, she made it known that, “our culture has portrayed vocal women as rude when both (vocal and rude) actually portray different characters”.

Challenging the popular saying, “a woman must be seen and not heard,” she stated that a woman can be heard in a polite manner and also be heard in terms of her attitude. “But our culture has trained us in such a way that, it is difficult for most women to be heard”.

In an interview on e. TV Ghana’s African Women’s Voices with Eunice Tornyi, she said, “If you’re a lady or a woman, your self-esteem vanishes because you’re not given the opportunity to speak. It is different when you’re allowed to speak and are heard. But our culture in Ghana does not allow women speak up. What the man says is final”.

She believes that living in such an environment only makes the woman timid and without confidence. “This is because she feels she will be mistaken as rude while trying to express herself,” she disclosed.

She furthered that, this has become an issue of concern and has caused most women to lose their self-esteem. “Once the person is vocal, she is perceived as rude or arrogant but that is a very wrong approach,” she shared.

She advised parents to quit shutting their children up, especially their female children when they are young. “They should also be given the opportunity to express themselves when need be. Parents should also find a different approach to correcting their children when they go wrong”.