Three main coalitions on women’s rights and gender equality in Ghana, namely: The Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT); The Women’s Manifesto Coalition (WMC); and the Domestic Violence Coalition (DVC), have sounded an alarm bell on the rise of misogyny, ethnic sentiments, hate speech and incitement to hatred, in recent times made by some religious leaders and public figures.
The group cited recent statements made by one Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi, Leader of the Glorious Wave Church. According to them, Prophet Badu expressed such hate speech in his church targeting Ashanti, Fanti and Ewe women in Ghana, in relation to the institution of marriage and their role as wives within it.
In a statement issued in Accra and copied to Public Agenda on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 the group said, “We of the three coalitions are appalled by his extremist statements. The statements were clearly inciting ethnic hatred and ideas of ethnic inferiority of women in the context of marriage. As a multi-ethnic country, Ghana has a strong history of ability to accept our similarities and differences.”
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The statement mentioned that through there are several challenges in the governance system, “we are still forging ahead as citizens of one nation, Ghana. Therefore, we as women’s rights organisations, reject any attempts by the pastor that sexist, ethnic and misogynistic verbal attacks against women are harmless. Indeed, such attacks are extremely harmful especially when they are made in a religious context.”
Such comments, according to them, function to denigrate women and further promote the growing climate of sexism and misogyny in the country. Anti-women remarks reinforce sexist behaviour, gender stereotyping and discrimination against women that leads to violence.
The statement to reiterated the need for democratically minded political and religious leaders and the media to adopt clear, strong and unequivocal positions against intolerance, misogyny, ethnic biases and discrimination; while calling call on all women of Ghana, irrespective of their ethnic, religious, educational and geographical backgrounds, to continue to close ranks and stand up against all forms of violence and discrimination against women.
It continued that; “We will not allow statements such as those of the Pastor, to become the new narrative and get used to it. We will not be complicit in any despicable culture of divisiveness and discrimination being perpetuated by one pastor. On the contrary we will continue to forge ahead in our promotion of women’s rights and gender equality
“Finally, we call on the state to live up to its responsibility by strengthening its commitment to the fight against discrimination, misogyny, xenophobia and related ethnic intolerance.
“In this connection, there is a need for a solid legal framework, which includes anti-discrimination legislation, which applies in such areas as religion, employment, social protection, education and the supply of goods and services. The country must also strengthen its laws on combating ethnic and misogynistic crime especially those perpetrated by religious leaders and public officers.
“This will then serve as the basis for the setting up of a framework for a common response, obliging the state to penalise any public incitement to violence or hatred against a group of persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to religion, descent, or national or ethnic origin.”
By Publicagendagh.com
