Sunyani Oct 29, GNA- The Brong Ahafo Regional Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), recorded more than 3000 cases of human rights abuses last year.

Nine hundred and fourteen (914) of the cases were on family related issues, 142 on child custody, 98 on interstate succession and 30 on force marriages.

Mr. Akwasi Boakye, the Regional Director made this known at a day's regional workshop organized by the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in Sunyani on the theme:" Successful Marriage, A Tool For An Ideal Parenting".

About 200 women attended the workshop aimed at sensitising them on the importance of ensuring successful marriage.

Mr. Boakye asked opinion leaders especially the clergy not to force women to stay in their matrimonial homes against their will. He cited an example of a woman who was killed by her estranged husband when a pastor forced her to go back to her matrimonial home. Mr. Boakye said as soon as the woman entered the house a fight ensued and in the process the husband pushed her down from a story building to meet her untimely death.

Dr. Cajetan Jones Terchie at the Sunyani Psychiatric Hospital who spoke on "Psychological effects of broken marriages" said women were mostly affected when there is separation in marriage or divorce. He said most of the women who reported at the hospital were diagnosed to be depressed due to marriage problems.

Mr. David Annor-Sakyi, the Regional Coordinator of the Scripture Union (SU) of Ghana, said there could be peaceful and successful marriage when partners were guided by the fear of God, respect themselves and have genuine love for one other.

He observed that a healthy marriage relationship promote development in the house, community and the nation as a whole. Mrs. Anna Darling Owusu, the Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, said children from broken homes were often the victims of child abuse who grow to become social misfits.

Ms. Juliana Amponsah, the Regional Coordinator of the NCWD said successful marriage was a useful tool for national development.