Accra: Madam Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ada, has called for an end to abusive widowhood rites on International Widows' Day. She urged Ghana to confront these harmful practices and inheritance abuses, emphasizing that 'the death of a husband must not become the beginning of suffering, humiliation, and poverty for a widow.'
According to Ghana News Agency, the MP highlighted these concerns in a statement to Parliament on International Widows' Day, observed annually on June 23. She drew attention to the 'numerous challenges' widows face nationwide, including economic hardship, social exclusion, degrading rituals, and property dispossession. International Widows' Day, recognized by the United Nations, seeks to highlight the plight of the estimated 258 million widows globally and mobilize action to uphold their rights.
Madam Cudjoe-Ghansah, who also serves as the First Deputy Majority Whip, informed the House that despite Ghana's progress on human rights and gender equality, many widows still endure 'abusive widowhood rites that violated their fundamental rights and human dignity.' She cited degrading rituals, confinement, forced mourning periods, and accusations of causing their husbands' deaths as practices that 'have no place in a modern democratic society governed by the rule of law.'
A significant concern raised by the MP was the unlawful deprivation of inheritance rights. She noted that widows and their children are often evicted from matrimonial homes and denied properties jointly acquired with their late spouses by family members who 'exploit their ignorance of the law.' This issue persists despite the Intestate Succession Act, 1985 (PNDCL 111), and constitutional protections for surviving spouses and children.
Madam Cudjoe-Ghansah attributed these issues to inadequate public awareness and 'the reluctance of some communities to abandon customs inconsistent with the laws of Ghana.' She called for the National Commission for Civic Education, Information Services Department, media, traditional authorities, religious leaders, and civil society to launch 'sustained public education campaigns' on property rights, inheritance laws, and legal remedies.
Furthermore, she urged ministries, departments, and agencies to strengthen support through legal aid services for widows fighting dispossession, economic empowerment programs to tackle poverty, and social protection interventions. She emphasized that 'access to education and healthcare for widows and their children, as well as knowledge of the law, remains one of the most effective tools for preventing exploitation and abuse.'
Commemorating the day, the Ada MP encouraged Ghanaians to 'reaffirm their commitment to justice, equality, and the protection of the vulnerable among society.' She called for a collective effort to build 'a Ghana where widows are protected by law, respected by society, and empowered to live lives of dignity and fulfillment.'