Some young women in polygamous marriages in
the Northern Region have revealed that they are using cigarettes, cola
nuts, or meals to lure their husbands to have sex with them.
This
has compelled many men, especially in the rural Northern Region, to
marry more than one to receive abundant gifts from their wives
before satisfying their sexual needs.
These were
revealed on Tuesday, during a workshop for management staff of
organisations and business owners, organised by Action Aid Ghana on Life
Choices and Livelihoods of Young Women.
The
workshop discussed challenges young women face in accessing Decent Work;
Women’s Rights at the Work Place; Human Rights; Law on Employment;
Employment Contracts, the Labour Act, among others.
Some
of the young wives, who spoke on anonymity, explained that they are not
happy in their marriages because they have to provide their husbands’
needs before they visited their beds.
They however said they could not quit because of their children.
“My
husband smokes and any time I need sex then I have to provide a pack of
cigarette before he will accept to sleep with me, said one of them.
“If
I don’t have money to satisfy his needs it means I will be starved
sexually while my rivals who provide his needs are treated better”.
A
former Minister of Women and Children, in the erstwhile Kufuor
Administration,,Hajia Alima Mahama who facilitated the workshop said it
was sad that people were still engaging in polygamy in an era where
meeting the needs of the family was a challenging one.
She therefore called on NGOs to work together towards seeking solutions to the problem.
She also advised women not to accept marriages just to become wives, when their happiness would not be guaranteed.
Action
Aid Ghana is implementing a project in the peri-urban areas of Tamale
and Accra called, ‘Young Urban Women: Life Choices and Livelihood’. It
is aimed at ensuring that some 2,000 young women living in poverty would
have more economic independence and control over their bodies.
Miss
Melody Azinim, the Young Urban Women Project Officer, said the project
aimed at equipping the young women with employable skills for decent
work, and to empower them to be more assertive in defending their sexual
reproductive health rights.
