Renewing Commitment towards Enhancing Gender Equality and Access to Legal Aid for Women in Ghana.

The legal climate in Ghana is one of the robust in the Sub-region. The country has a thriving bar association that has shown in the past and in the present to be a part of social discourse and the promotion of human rights in the country.

Providence shows that lawyers in Ghana are at the forefront of fighting for human right.

In spite of these achievements in the Ghanaian legal space, there is societal issue when it come to access to legal aid for women.

When such a claim is made, it’s not made in absence of the work the legal aid schemes under the ministry of justice and the attorney generals office or the momentous work carried out by International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-GHANA).

The realities on the ground is that FIDA and the Legal Aid Scheme need more intentional bodies and government assistance to carry out their mandate.

Last year, Mrs. Susan Aryeetey, the Acting Executive Director of FIDA-Ghana called on the government to assist the Legal Aid scheme in order to empower the organization to help the vulnerable in society access justice.

Beyond financial and human resource assistance, there is an imminent need for policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and implement policies that ensure that the rights of women and other vulnerable persons are protected.

Such polices must not only be passed through parliament but the executive arm of government and its machinery must make it a primary objective to strictly implement such policies.

Another issue that come to mind when one considers access to justice for women in Ghana is education.

Statistics show that female literacy rate in Ghana stands at 74.47%,as compared to men, it can therefore be ascertained that legal female literacy is low compared to western countries.

“There are not a lot of women in the formal and informal sector that are aware of some of their fundamental rights. Thus, issue of marital rape and the lack of education of its criminality as well as the lack of explicit legislation in this area is to a large extent a miscarriage of justice.

Aside marital rape, women are often abused and harassed in the schools and work place. The prevalence of hostile education and work environment are issues i believe education can address.

GIZ is committed to working with POS Foundation and other stakeholders in order to intensify advocacy on most legal issues and in Ghana and beyond.

Source:
Ruth Kwabea- Amankwaah
Legal Advisor (GIZ)
Regional Programmes Africa
Regional Project,
” Promotion of the rule of Law and Judiciary in Africa ”

By: Nana Adjoa Orllens