“Everyday Use” begins with Mother (Mama) and daughter Dee, cleaning and preparing their home in anticipation of the visit of a second daughter, Dee. Both daughters are unique in their own ways. Dee is confident, smart, and very fashionable. At 16 she knew who she was and what style of clothing she liked. She always had weird friends such as the nervous girls who worshipped her. Dee however had a bad temper. This resulted in a terrible breakup with Jimmy T who ended up marrying a cheap girl from a family of ignorant flashy people. Dee rejected her heritage when she lived with her Mama. She was disgusted with the house they lived in. She hated the house so much that, she is believed to have set it on fire. This fire scarred her sister Maggie and stole all Maggie’s beauty and confidence. The old house and the new house have two things in common. Both have three bedrooms and both are located in the pasture. The only difference is, the old house had a shingle roof but the new house has a thin roof with no windows and holes in the sides.
Dee is also intelligent. Due to this, the church and her Mama put money together to send her to college. Away from home, she comes to appreciate her heritage and pays her Mama and sister a visit with her new boyfriend Hakim-a-barber. He is a modern fellow. He has an afro hair do with a long bead. He belongs to the cattle people but he does not farm or rear cattle. Upon arrival Dee takes pictures of her Mama, Maggie and the new house making sure to capture the cow that passes by. She is emphatic on capturing animals and the house. Obviously her Mama does not know everything about her daughter. She does not know if she is married to Hakim-a barber and does not pry. When she calls her Dee she responds by saying she has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. The name Dee is however a family name from four generations, however if a more accurate research is conducted on the name it might exceed four generations. Dee is named after her aunt Dicie who was named after her Grandmother who was named after her Mother.
Mama is a tolerant and hardworking woman and a good cook, though not educated. She prepares a meal for the arrival of Dee. At table, Mama observes that Hakim-a-barber is a practicing Moslem, who does not eat collards and pork. Dee on the other hand eats all her Mama has to offer; Chitlins, corn bread, green, sweet potatoes. Everything in her Mama’s house presently delights her. She has undergone some transformations. She now admires certain items her Mama has and wants them at all cost. She wants the old benches her Daddy made for the table; she wants Grandma Dee’s butter dish, and the churn top to use as a center piece for her alcove table. She wants the dasher and does not have any everyday use for it but would think of something artistic to do with it.
Maggie on the other hand stares at Dee without saying a word. She knows she is not bright and does not try to challenge her sister as she picks up items from the house and demands to keep them. Maggie lost all her confidence in the fire that scared her hands, arms and legs. Even her eye sight is bad hence she stumbles when she reads to her Mama. She is going to marry John Thomas who is also ugly. She however has a legacy which cannot be taken away from her. She was taught how to quilt by Grandma Dee and Big Dee. After dinner Dee goes into her Mama’s truck and pulls out two quilts pieced together by Grandma Dee and Big Dee. She wants the two of them. Her Mama explains to her she can have one or more of the other quilts she made because she had already promised Maggie the quilts on her marriage with John Thomas. Dee insists on having the quilts and explains that she does not want the other quilts because they are stitched around the borders by machine. Her Mama realizes she does not want to give up on the quilts.
Dee continues to explain to Mama that Maggie would not appreciate them because she would put them to everyday use. They are indeed meant for everyday use as Mama puts it, and not meant for hanging as Dee wants to use them for. Mama recalls that she gave Dee quilts when she was going to college but she did not accept them saying they were old fashioned and out of style. Dee is however angry and fuming with range that her Mama would not allow her to have the quilts. Maggie is terrified by Dee’s temper and wants Mama to give the quilts to Dee because she can remember Grandma Dee without the quilts. Mama snatches the quilts from Dee and gives them to Maggie. Dee’s feelings are hurt because no one says no to her. She walks away from the room to Hakim-a- barber complaining that Mama did not understand her need for the quilts. Mama asks Dee to explain further and she clarifies that the quilts are related to her heritage because they were made out of clothes worn by her Grandmother or Great Grand Mother 50 or more years ago. She wants people to recognize her heritage but her Mama’s mind is made up. Totally disappointed, she puts on her huge sunglasses, gives Maggie a good bye hug and advises Mama and Maggie to try to stay abreast with modern trends and on that note, they drive out of the compound. Relieved that Dee just left, Mama asks Maggie to get her some dip of snuff. They both sit outside enjoying their life till its bedtime and they retire into the house.

Topic: Read and critique Kate Chopin’s “The Storm”. How does the author want you to respond?


“ The Storm” by Kate Chopin, begins in a chronological order, with foreshadowing, symbolism and the power of imagination, which makes the reader keen to finish reading the story. The story is set in Bobinots home and the Friedheimer’s store. In the narration, a storm is approaching and Bobinot and his four year old son Bibi decide to stay in the Friedheimer’s store till the storm subsides. We are introduced to “leaves so still” even Bibi the little four year old boy thinks it’s going to rain. As the plot keeps unfolding, we are introduced to the dramatic situation where Calixta, Bobinot’s wife, is home alone and Alcee a man she knows from the past seeks shelter from the storm and Calixta lets her into her marital home. The reader at this point is thinking what is going to happen between a hot blooded man and a woman who is not his wife all locked up in a room, however the author points to the fact that, both of them know each other from the past.

One technique the writer uses to keep the reader in suspense is the narration technique. The story is in the third person omniscient. This technique gives the narrator full access to the unfolding of the plot, for example, the author makes Alcee ask Calixta if she remembers what happened in the Assumption and when she responds in the affirmative, and says “ ... For in Assumption he kissed her and kissed her and kissed her..”This is repetition for emphasis therefore it comes as no surprise when there is a sexual scene after this statement which synchronizes perfectly with the storm outside. The description is done so beautifully that readers react by judging Calixta and Alcee in their act of adultery because we know both Calixta and Alcee are married. The reader thus makes a connection from the beginning when we are introduced to the storm, the reader now knows, it’s not only a physical storm but a symbol of the sexual encounter between Alcee and Calixta. Therefore the title represents the sexual tension that builds between Alcee and Calixta. The tension increases as the storm becomes intense and after they both have each other, the storm subsides and “the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems”.

In the time period the story is set, which is the late nineteenth century, society had certain standards and restraints on the woman. However the author is making a statement about humans’ natural tendency towards sexual passion. The fact that Calixta is a woman did not mean she did not have any sexual feelings. Calixta is described as a typical wife playing the conservative wifely role; sewing, airing Bobinot’s Sunday clothes outside. These are the expected roles of a wife. Kate Chopin uses the many roles Calixta plays in the storm to illustrate the sexual constraints of women at the time. At one point, she is doing house chores with vigor and frustration. She is multitasking. However when Alcee arrives on the scene the clothes are in danger of blowing away because there is a strong wind approaching with the storm. Alcee grabs Bobinots pants to prevent the wind from blowing it way. This symbolizes the social and marital constraints of Calixta. She now talks excitedly about house work basically expressing the sexual tension she feels around Alcee.

Kate Chopin unfolds the sexual passion Calixta has built within by saying “… when he touched her breasts they gave themselves up in quivering ecstasy, inviting his lips”. These are stormy sexual passions Calixta has within her. Calixta’s sexuality is repressed by the constraints of her marriage and society’s view of women- the housekeeping and ‘baby-making’ role. Through this encounter with Alcee, Calixta is able to release her true feminine sexuality in a completely different manner than she is with her husband.

In conclusion, the author uses the power of the omniscient narrator to make believe his protagonist Calixta is having a sexual encounter with a married man and to make matters worse, she is not remorseful about that act. She watches her lover ride away and goes on to prepare super for her family. She even gives her husband a kiss on the check when he gives her shrimps he bought for her. This makes readers think Calixta is a bad and immoral woman. Alcee on the other hand is also very happy with his life and writes to his wife to extend her vacation. In a nutshell, the resolution of the story is, “after the sexual encounter, “… the storm passes and everyone is happy”. Kate Chopin makes a huge statement with her narration technique and it makes a reader think, if a man has sexual feelings, a woman is entitled to one also because at the end of the day, when a woman is happy ultimately the man is happy and the family at large is happy.

Topic: Write an essay of no less than three pages in response to the following: The author manages to create a relationship between the characters' heritage and the things they use everyday; what strategies did she employ to achieve this end? Develop specifically using information from your experience as well as citations from the source (Everyday Use by Alice Walker).

In “Everyday Use”, Alice Walker the writer creates a relationship between the heritage of the characters and the things they use every day. Alice Walker uses symbolism, irony and personification among others, to build the plot of the story. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary (2002), Heritage is a property that is or can be inherited, or a tradition that is handed down from one’s ancestors. Everyday use as the name implies is anything that is used on a daily basis. The relationship between heritage and everyday use in the story is symbolized by the quilts; the dasher to make butter; the churn used to make sour milk or butter milk; the old benches Dee’s Father made and the name Dee. Mother and Maggi in the story are personified as the preservers of heritage and Dee brings in conflict in the form of Irony by implying she understands heritage and is in a better position to conserve it when in actual fact, she is confused as to the how to preserve heritage by the exposure of her unbalanced thoughts. In my personal experience my heritage and everyday use are intertwined. My name, African clothes, beads, my skills in cooking traditional African dishes, which I learnt from my mother are symbolic of who I am.
In “Everyday Use”, Walker relates personification to everyday use by attributing it to the preservation of heritage. Though Maggi is scarred and lucks confidence, she is going to marry John Thomas. She has a legacy to carry to her marriage which cannot be taken from her. A legacy she can preserve by teaching her children to quilt since she was thought to quilt by Grandma Dee and Big Dee. After dinner when Dee rifles through her Mother’s truck and picks two quilts insisting to keep them, Maggi is not worried. She says to her Mother, “She can have them, Mama I can ’member Grandma Dee without the quilts” (page 284). Though she is not intelligent, she has skills of value which cannot be taken away from her. Maggi and her Mother have always lived in the country side. Though their old house burnt down, they got a new one which looked exactly like the old, indicative of their conservative nature. Dee confirms this by saying to Maggi “it’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know it” indicating that Maggi and her Mother still live as country people, using valuable possessions as everyday use when they could live in the city and use these possessions as valuable decorations to depict their heritage.
Dee according to Walker is delighted about everything in her Mother’s house when she visits. She is thrilled that her Mother still uses the benches her Daddy made for the table when they could not afford chairs. She thinks they are lovely and runs her hands underneath them to feel the rump prints. Mother believes in preserving her heritage, indicative of the good soul food cooking, anticipating Dee’s return. Dee on her part enjoys her Mother’s cooking and eats everything her Mother prepared. It can be implied that Mother cooks well because she learnt how to cook from her Mother, a heritage which is everyday use. I learnt how to cook from my Mother who learnt how to cook from my Grandmother. In America, when my extended family or a family friend is hosting a party, I am asked to cook a traditional food called ‘Banku’ and Okro soup which am an expert in making.
Symbolism in the power of a name is used as a strategy to develop the story and plays a very significant role. The name Dee is a symbol of heritage which is everyday use because she is named after her aunt Dicie who was named after her Grandmother who was named after her Mother. The name Dee is a heritage of the family which her Mother traces from memory to four generations. Dee professes to be a preserver of heritage but willingly gives up her name and takes up a Moslem name, Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. She is confused. How can she claim to be a firm believer in heritage when she throws away the only everyday use heritage anyone who meets her is bound to pronounce? My name is Cynthia Delali Noviewoo. I am from the Ewe tribe of Ghana, West Africa. My first name is Christian indicative of my baptism. My middle and last name traces me as far back as my village in Ghana. In Ghana, when I mention my name, out of the ten regions, the name connects me to only one region, the Volta Region because they are the only people who name their children that way. The Ewes according to history, escaped from Notsie located in Togo, West Africa because of a wicked King Agborkoli who was maltreating them. They escaped from tyrannical rule and relocated in Ghana and Benin and that is why Ewe is spoken in these three West African Countries and the reason why any of these three tribes anywhere in the world are able to identify my heritage by my name regardless of their educational status, based purely on the everyday use of my name. This is how powerful the heritage of a name is.
The use of irony brings conflict in Dee’s believe in heritage. She feels she is the only one in the family who is bent on preserving the family heritage because she is the only educated one in the family. She believes that being enlightened and living in the city with a dasher which she has no everyday use for and states “…and I’ll think of something artistic to do with the dasher.”(Page 283), and a churn top which she is going to use “as a centerpiece for the alcove table.” makes her a preserver of her heritage. She thinks that because these items were made by her ancestors the best way to preserve them is to use them as decorations and not as everyday use as they are intended for. Walker successfully uses Dee as an irony to contrast her believes and her actions. Another point worth noting that creates conflict and irony in Dee’s character is her change of name. She states that “… I couldn’t bear to be named after the people who oppress me.” Yet she wants to possess the heritage of those same people. She changes her name to a Moslem one and yet eats pork and collards which her Moslem boyfriend says are unclean; she is confused and not truly converted.
The relationship between heritage and everyday use is intertwined. Maggi and her Mother preserve their heritage by using it as everyday use and Dee claims to a strong advocate of her heritage by collecting items of everyday use as decoration for her room. When her Mother offers her the quilts before college she rejects them. In college, she is transformed by the teachings professes to be a firm believer in preserving her heritage. On her return home, she wants the quilts but her mother offers her alternative quilts from the ones she chose to keep. She rejects them because they are stitched around the borders by machine. She wants the quilts made out of clothes worn by her Grand Mother or Great Grand Mother 50 or more years ago. She wants to hang them for decoration and Maggi she claims will not appreciate the quilts because she will put them to everyday use. I preserve my heritage by using old utensils my parents used in their marital home. I wear the beads my Grandmother gave me and I teach my friends and nieces how to cook traditional meals and make local herbs like my Mother thought me. They are everyday use and to preserve my heritage i use them on a daily basis when the need arises.
Works Cited
“Ewe History.” http://www.bridgingdevelopment.org/ewehistory.htm. “Web.” Assessed
03/10/2010
“Heritage.” Webster New World Compact Desk Dictionary and Style Guide.
2nd ed. 2002. Print.
Lester, James, and Lester James Jr. Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide.
New York Pearson: Pearson, 2010. Print.
Kennedy, X.J and Gioia Dana. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing Compact Edition, 6th ed. Boston, Longman, 2010. Print.
“Regions of Ghana.”http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/geography/region.php.
“Web.” Assessed 03/10/2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MUMMY – TERESA EVELYN CHIRAVIRA NOVIEWOO
Born 9th September 1948, Died 29th April 2004, Buried 22nd May 2004

Happy birthday mummy! Today mummy is 59 years old. Ok today my mummistic mummy would have been 59 years but death our ultimate fate called her in the early hours of 29^th April 2004 at 1:45am. This year is 3 years since you passed on but well God knows best, my dear mum for Revelation 21:4 says “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away”

Indeed mum all the former things have passed away and there is no greater gift than to be with the lord which you yearned for with so much zeal and hard work, and above all there is no more pain and crying for you- that is excellent, when I think of it- wonderful

Happy birthday! This year, Doris gave you one very great gift, our latest Princess in the making, Kandinaa Timbilla .You won’t believe this, she was born on the 29^th April 2007, so you see we can never forget you. We still mention your name mum every time, everyday, everywhere someone would bring you up for discussion. You have never gotten lost in our hearts, you would forever remain there, our mentor, courageous, strong full of wisdom; woman of faith, even on your dying bed, you could still say boldly without doubt “IT IS WELL “our “filla” friend, our counselor our sister, forever mummy you are simply irreplaceable as we said in our tribute. You are a real gem woman of God.

I have always been wondering, how your journey to your maker on that white horse was? Cos you really were excited about the horse. Your face brightened anytime you spoke about it barely a week prior to your death. “any time I close my eyes I see the white horse” you would say smiling. Well curiosity they say kills the cat, so am not going be too curious you know?

Mummy, we are all fine minus Daddy though because he followed you a year after you passed on but well the bible says, God is A father of the fatherless and he defends the poor and fatherless, so all is well, and we are working hard to make you and Daddy proud, though we have still not succeeded in giving you a grandchild but I hope we would – one day! Yes! One day!

Mummy one of your favorite hymns “what a friend we have in Jesus” has really ministered to my heart, Oh! I have suffered in this life! I have been through the wilderness but am now in my promised land. I sang this song throughout my wilderness experience, I sang it when the Pharaoh’s came after me, I sang it when there was no food to eat and God gave me manna. This song has always been my song of inspiration. Today is your birthday and I know if you were alive, you would have shared something with the loved ones around you. Since you are not there, am acting on your stead by sharing this hymn with my all my loved ones, this is a gift from you to them on your birthday.

(Blessed Children of God, this is a very popular song, oh yes! We all know it but we aren’t going to sing it the way we do always, today we going to sing it, placing a lot of emphasis on the lyrics, in remembrance of my late mother and to wish her a happy birthday. All I need you to do, is to remember mummy today and say to her, Happy Birthday – Rest in peace, and then let the song minister to you. You may still be in the wilderness, but know that, no situation is permanent in life, even me, Delali, God smiled on me and set me free, how much more you child of God? Do not let the enemy steal your joy, we suffer unnecessarily all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer – Lovely Child of God, the ball is in your court – SHOT!)

BIRTHDAY HYMN – WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief’s to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there

(So u see my dear ones mummy is on verse 4 level, where she needs no prayer but we my dear ones need to pray verse I 2 n 3 always)

Fondly remembered by : Children, Siblings, Nieces and Nephews, Pastors, Family, Friends and loved ones and those who have heard about you. R.I.P

Thank you for reading; God bless you

The Evil that men do

We say the evil that men do lives after them. what about the evil that we do?

Small girl !- big man like you- then you go and rape her- what is that?The evil that you do would live after you.

My father always beat me up cos he said i had friends, he thought it was best to abstain from friends because they always put you in trouble.Well that is true.Ask yourself this question- who are my friends? Well i never gave up. i kept my friends i have so many of them counting from Ruti, Jesse,Doris, Nunana, Bremps, Ernest,Becky who we all call Becky lee, i can go on and on and on, but you see these ones have been with me through thick and thin.yeah and i love them-PERIOD.

The thing about friends is not just about having them but about been there for them when they need you most and you for them when they need you most.True friendships have no conditons.

Once upon a time, i had an elderly man friend who was so upset with me for having so many friends,then one day he fell in trouble and there were was no one.

i was there. again and again. I was always there - then my friends were there for him-

He now understood.

My Elderly man friend has invested in so many lives, he has lived his life practically for people but at his age he does not have a house of his own or a car i would call a CAR- See what i mean?Not because he cannot afford it but because he was too busy running around for people- my son is sick he is there, my mother is dead he is buring, i have a cold he is buying drugs, i have candida he is sending you to the hospital- now that he needs them, they have all run away- anyway, the goodnews is that the world is a globe and what goes around comes around.If you run away with my elderly friend's money, be expecting that someday. if you betrayed his trust, oh! your closest confidant would do it to you religiously. it is not a curse but a fact of life.

Big men sleeping with smal small girls- the evil that men do-

I cursed a man on my mother's grave- Surprised! Ask me why i did that! am not prepared to talk about it now. but i did it.

One day a friend called me crying so bitterly, ah ah! what is it? You lost a relative? no, ''he has
419ed me. He promised to marry me, lured me into a relationship and has jilted me bitterly like a piece of cloth. I laughed ! not because she was funny but because i hear that almost everytime.

One boy like that, ---- do i want to talk about this? No

We dont need to be religious if we dont want to but the point is we should lead moral lives. A life that is pure and simple.

It would be good to know that the good men do lives after them. Lets be good people lets have principles and standards to guide our lives and lets not take undue advantage of people to reap them of what they have.

This way we would make society a better place to live in.

I love you all.

The Cocaine Menace inGhana

It is amazing!
Everybody is talking - cha cha cha cha,the elderly the youth and even children, some say they are NPP people others say they are NDC people.But are they all Ghanaians?

President President Kufuor stated over the week end at a commissioning of aNPP office complex that, “we now know those who have brought cocaine into this country''.Did he already know or he is now knowing?Well!

And what did he do about it if he already knew and what is he doing about it now if he is now knowing?

The issue here is we all need to be patroitic citizens and tackle the issue on the ground. Cocaine in the Country means destruction to our youth. and killing our future. It means subjecting our woman and children to drug addicts and barons. It is up to the President and his Parliamentarians to govern the Country and do it well. we as citizens by our democratic rights are there to criticise and help foster good governace.

The Public sector and various ministeries are supposed to be working day in day out to ensure good governace and continued peace in the country.

It is true life is though in Ghana, the standard of living is so high, but that does not mean we should go into drugs to survive.

Has anyone ever asked why these people go into drugs?
Greed, yes greed, love of money, love of riches, the love to show of, and many more vices, i tell you, there is not even one virtue that woudl be listed for anyone who is into drugs- No!

Let us learn to work and eat beautifully from our decebthardwork and sweat - even if it means been a labourer. It is more dignified.

Let us cherish our morality as Ghanaians, lets not let the love of money make us go into drugs.

Some are critizing today, because they dont have the chance to go into drugs if the have the chance tomorrow they would, because they want to live big and drive big cars.

There are people who drive big cars and live big but have genuine money. You dont believe?( Check what you are doing-and tell me why you dont believe)

Lets try to get to the top, women, lets aim high, lets help fight this drug menace and lets know its a global thing.

Lets stop politicising things and know its happening in Ghana and everywhere in the world, but we can only solve the issue when we break it down to our level and 'minus' all the politics.
Live right, live healthy, shy away from drugs, be content with what you have and aim high.

THE PLIGHT OF THE YOUNG GHANAIAN WOMAN


The young Ghanaian woman faces a lot of challenges in their lifetime. These challenges begin right from birth through puberty to death, for instance when a woman is in labour and goes to have a baby they would ask, “what did she deliver?”-”A human being?” And if the response is yes, it means the baby is a male – what would you call this?The young Ghanaian girl therefore right from birth faces discrimination and this continues to puberty. She has to deal with so many traditional rites to fulfill the rites of passage such as puberty rites to initiate her into adulthood, in some cultures the young Ghanaian woman has to go through female genital mutilation (FGM) to complete the process afterwards she is then introduced to marriage. Even at marriage this discrimination still continues, though young men in Ghana can choose who to marry and when to marry, the young woman does not enjoy this privilege, women as young as 14 years are sometimes betrothed to a man of about 45 or 60 years and she has no choice but to accept the offer, the young Ghanaian woman is trained to accept decisions made on her behalf and to sacrifice her future comfort to the benefit of her family of origin and the family she will marry into. After all, who will listen to her when she complains? Where will she run to? What do we call this? discrimination or equal rights? We sometimes wonder if Ghanaians are aware of the UN Universal Declaration of human rights Article 16(2) that states categorically “marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. To complete the passage of life, even in death the young Ghanaian woman still goes through discrimination.

Discrimination against the young Ghanaian woman engulfs all aspect of her life but lets consider education, job opportunities, human rights violations and gender based violence.

Since Ghana’s independence in 1957, citizens are entitled to equal opportunities regarding rights, privileges, and duties enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.These rights and privileges include right to education, but does this really exist? Do men and women especially young men and young women have equal opportunities regarding education, jobs and decision making in society?

While the male is encouraged to study hard and excel in professions such as medicine, engineering, computing, law, among others, the girl who is privileged to be enrolled in school, is oriented right from childhood to choose vocations such as teaching, nursing, catering, secretarialship and the like, these courses take a shorter training period compared to the ones ‘ascribed’ for men. The notion behind this is for the girl to fulfill her ultimate duty in society - to get married and have children. Such situations usually occur where there are scarce resources in the home. Beside medicine, engineering, computing and the like, are considered too technical for a female. In some cases girls would have to drop out of school to either assist her mother at home or sell in the market to support the family or marry so that her dowry (some items given by the groom to the bride’s family) could be used to sustain her family and see her male siblings through school (afterall education is the right of a male).

Access to Jobs

Despite all these challenges a Ghanaian girl faces in her educational ladder, the few ones who excel especially from the rural areas have a problem getting jobs.
Another huddle that the young Ghanaian woman has to cross is the area of decision making.
The Ghanaian society is mainly male dominated and decision-making regarding the welfare of the home ad community at large is often considered a male business. The girl child in the Ghanaian society, is oriented to be subject to men and allow decisions to be made on their behalf hence they hardly have a representation in parliament like their male counterparts. They face a lot of impediments in their efforts to change this situation, sometimes these hindrances come from older women who feel that these few young girls who dare to change situations are competing with them (older women in decision making). In some cases, some men might be willing to help her find her way to the top but then that ‘help’ comes with a tag- her pants MUST be inspected. If this ‘pull me down’ syndrome continues how would the young Ghanaian woman ever get to the top? If she has to sleep with every Tom, Dick and Harry, what would be left of her self esteem and her pride as a woman, what would be left of her natural treasure? Hey, maybe we have ignored or never noticed Article 27 (3) of the 1992 constitution that states ‘women shall be guaranteed equal rights to training and promotion without impediments from any person.
Even though we have a few women in politics and decision making we hardly have a single young woman among these few women decision makers and politicians. Out of the 230 parliamentarians, 25 are women. Women account for less than 10% of the people in public office, 7% are assembly members. There are also 30 committees in Parliament, of which 2 women chair two committees. The finance and the gender and children committee. When will the young woman in Ghana be given the opportunity to be part of decision making that concerns her?


Human rights violations

Under chapter five of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, every person in Ghana whatever his race, place of origin, political opinion, colour religion, creed or gender is entitled to fundamental human rights and freedoms. Inspite of this, there has been several reports of human rights violations among young women in Ghana.

In Ghana, 20% of teenage girls drop out of school or fail to finish exams because of teenage pregnancy. The girls are either dismissed from school or not allowed to write exams. Also, they face stigmatization and discrimination from their peers and society making it extremely difficult for them to continue their education. A lot of girls ‘drop out’ voluntarily because of the shame and disgrace. Schoolgirls should not be encouraged to get pregnant while in school, however if they do, should they be denied their right to education? Why that is only the girls get penalized? What happens to the boys who got them pregnant? Are they punished in the same measure as the girls?

In the Kassena Nankana District of the Upper East Region of Ghana, part of the widowhood rites is that two people would pour hot and cold water simultaneously on the widow and if the hot water gets on the body first and she gets burnt, then she is alleged to have been unfaithful to her husband in his life time. In other areas young women had to continue the family lineage by marrying their late husband’s brothers. This places the widow at a high risk of contacting sexually transmitted diseases including the HIV virus. These are all violations of her fundamental human rights. The Widows and Orphans Ministry started in the Upper East Region in 1993 was established out of the woes young and older women go through during widowhood rites. It would be good to have such ministries in other areas to decrease the plight of the young widow.

Gender based violence

According to article six of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana titled; the directive principles of state policy, session 35(1), “Ghana shall be a democratic state dedicated to the realization of freedom of justice; and accordingly, sovereignty resides in the people of Ghana from whom the government derives all its powers and authority through the constitution”.


Gender based violence is an issue that has to be worked with all stakeholders. It is synonymous to the young Ghanaian woman because we live it but we are tired and want to fight this menace with all the little strength left in us.
Violence and the threat of violence is a fear that is experienced by every woman whether young or old however the young woman is very vulnerable because she has to make a living, develop her capacity and live like her male counterparts. In the process of doing this she goes through a lot of challenges, which ranges from: physical; psychological; economic; sexual; and traditional practices.
Anytime any of these violations take place in the domestic setting it is domestic violence. According to the media over 90% of domestic violence cases are women and children.
Domestic violence is targeted on women because of the inequality of the positions of men and women in the society.

Taking these statistics into account, how can the concerns of the young Ghanaian woman get addressed if she is not represented in decision-making tables? If men within the ages of 28 ad 35 years can be parliamentarians, district chief executive, and district assembly members, why can’t young women in these same age group be given that privilege?

There is currently no law in Ghana to address domestic violence. The domestic violence bill yet to be introduced to parliament in Ghana is intended to provide a legal framework for addressing the menace of domestic violence. There is the need for a law to address domestic violence cases because there are gaps in the current law used in addressing such cases; currently the law in Ghana is inadequate for dealing with crime of domestic nature.

As young Ghanaian women our wish is to see the Domestic Violence Bill Passed into an act of Parliament; to see the Right to Information bill passed and to see the society accept aspiring young Ghanaian women take up decision making positions to help spearhead a movement for change and contribute our quota to the development of the nation.
This would help promote gender equality, gender justice and empower the young Ghanaian woman to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) by 2015.

By: Cynthia Delali Noviewoo( Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Africa, Office
Joyce Apoasaan Jambeidu(Center for Information Technologies Researches and Development, Tamale(CITRED)Both are members of the Young Women Leadership and knowledge training institute, West Africa Anglophone branch, an initiative by the African Women Millennium Initiative on Poverty and Human Rights( AWOMI).