Saturday, 8 March 2014

This Year on International Women's Day Let Us Resolve to Come Together and Amplify Our Voice

When I first started Womenfound, if I ran a Google search for "women's organizations," I wouldn't get much of what I was looking for by way of aid organizations. Today if I type the same search term, Google will deliver pages and pages of relevant results for me. In fact today, in honor of International Women's Day, Google itself featured a Y-chromosome graphic with an embedded video wishing all a 'Happy International Women's Day.' So too did countless other organizations from multinational behemoths to small aid groups -- all seeming to acknowledge and offer a collective nod for #IWD. In a digital age, where a start-up can take off with a trendy hashtag , the idea of women supporting women has taken off with the intensity of a viral tweet. The idea, indeed the ideal, that women should help women has caught on.

In the US, women have started helpful ventures, both for-profit and non-profit, at a record pace. So much so that Network Solutions, a big tech company, started a blog called Women Grow Business to help women continue to navigate the business world and steer their start-ups to success. Kathy Korman Frey started 'The Hot Mammas Project,' where she aggregates success stories of women so that a sisterhood of 'mean girls,' turns into a sisterhood of supporters. Her objective is to demonstrate how much support can lend to success.

Across the Middle East and North Africa organizations founded in the US or UK work collectively to empower women. Some include Women for Afghan Women, The White Ribbon Alliance, The Hand Foundation, Journey Home Foundation, Aid Afghanistan for Education, Women Thrive and Women for Women International. The message is the same -- women, we are women too and we are here for you. Here at home, our struggles are less of life and death and more of success or greater success. Not to be forgotten are the millions of women who still struggle in lands apart from ours, for the basic rights of self determination, corporal control over their bodies, awareness in reproduction and the right to be counted as fully human and not treated as chattel.

This month, to coincide with International Women's Day, a documentary film titled Honor Diaries was released to global accolade, featuring nine women form the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan. To be sure, each had their own stirring experience with the discrimination that comes with being a woman in many parts of this world. But what was strikingly common was the call on the part of each of the women, who themselves were activists in their own way, to become united with others in the same cause.

The issues were wide spread across the panoply of abuses that comprise the systemic dehumanization and exploitation of women around the world. They included child marriage, female genital mutilation, honor killings and gender apartheid; but their plea was uniform -- raise your voice in solidarity with women around the world and help them rise up for change.

In truth, change does not usually come in one swoop -- at least not forward change for advancement in any cause. In patriarchal societies, the top-down order is guarded fiercely by an entrenched hierarchy that disincludes women and sustains the pressure that keeps them quiet and dutiful, by sheer force of bodily harm.

 The threat of abuse or grave injury maintains the traditions that even enlist women in the generations-long customs that keep their daughters submissive and obedient. One of the most disempowering customs of traditional patriarchal societies is the ritual of giving away a daughter. While often the so-called marriage is the product of back room dealing among them men, the process itself reduces the woman to nothing more than an object of pleasure for the groom.

The traditions vary slightly from place to place, but for the most part the communal physical preparation of the woman, the dress down preparations before hand, the dress up preparations for the ceremony itself an finally the community attendance of the consummation and the blood soiled rag that is often submitted as proof a virginity freshly lost, all reduce the woman to her lowest common denominator as a gender. The ritual and its intended message serve to inhibit any voice that may be screeching from inside to stand up and be counted as a person and not as an unremarkable member of an exploited gender.

This disempowerment is amplified in the case of child marriage -- a veritable scourge of the 21st century and a travesty that we still preside over them in a modern world. As women, indeed as people, we ought to have the power to demand this lowest modicum of human decency not to marry children to the highest bidder. Still, we use the excuse of culture and the cover of tradition to infuse depraved men to perpetuate a practice that we know in our hearts to be wrong.

This year, let's stop. Let us stop turning a blind eye to acts that we know are wrong, to manifestations of customs that have no place in our world and the carrying out of traditions in the name of cultures gone-by. Awareness must replace ignorance and education must replace the folklore that keeps an entire gender crushed.

"The right of women and girls is great unfinished business of the 21st Century," said Hillary Clinton less than a year ago. She is right. From South Africa to North America, from East Asia to the Middle East, women retweeted and reposted the message that we are not just a gender, we are people with passions, plans, dreams and ambitions. We demanded that we be counted fairly in civic life, in legal code and in school houses across the globe.

For some, the struggle is for equal pay and the rights of privacy in the choices we make. For those women, an emancipated society that offers the choice to work, reproduce and speak out is the good-fortune that life has dealt. For others the struggle is to speak at all, to be knowledgeable about basic human rights and to be able to preserve the essential dignity of having control over the corporal self.

For those, life is lived in traditional lands were education is hard to come by and rarely offered to girls, basic rights are to be fought for and often withheld, and a voice or choice are the elusive struggles of a lifetime. For them, those of us who are lucky enough to have a voice and a means by which to amplify it have a duty to speak. We have a duty to raise our collective voices and bring awareness to the plight of the many who live silent lives under the brutal stare of patriarchs who expect subservience over all else. Under the guise of tradition, millions of women live a lifetime of abuse and the threat of force perpetuated by communities that either know no better or are too afraid to speak up.

Let us resolve this year to speak for them, until we can give them the strength to begin to speak for themselves.

SOURCE;huffingtonpost

U/E: YOUTH RESORT TO SNIFFING PETROL TO GET "HIGH"

Drug addicts in the Upper East Region now resort to sniffing petrol to get intoxicated.

This phenomenon, according to the Upper East Regional Health Directorate, is coupled with the use of hard drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and alcohol abuse.

Mr. Lucio Dery, Director of Health Services in the Region, who disclosed this said the incident was leading to the increase of mental cases.

This, he said, was a big problem when it comes to mental health as the youth who were supposed to be leaders and the drivers of the economy were not healthy in the head due to substance abuse.

"As a region, we are aware of the abuse of various substances that are leading to the high rise of mental cases, so we should not pretend that we do not have problems when it comes to mental health,” Mr Dery made this revelation during a dissemination workshop on Mental Health.

The workshop, organized by Basic Needs for key stakeholders in health, was on the key provisions of the mental health law (Act 846) in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.

Mr. Dery said there was the need to intensify concerted efforts in educating the public about the magnitude of mental health problems that confront the region, and together, chart a common way forward in dealing with the issue.

He said the mental health law had a lot of implications for the region because of its mental health status, indicating that the region had high cases of psychosis and epilepsy.

"We are to take this opportunity to educate ourselves as to our roles and responsibilities as stakeholders in health and for that matter making sure we are providing quality care services and support services as families, friends and the general public, to those who are afflicted by this unfortunate condition," he said.

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Mental Health Authority, Dr. Akwasi Osei, said mental health which was in a silent crisis, was now screaming for considerable attention nationally and worldwide.

He said mental health care in the country was bedeviled with a lot of challenges, indicating that the three Northern Regions were the most underserved in terms of mental health care; as there was no psychiatric hospital in those areas with only one Psychiatrist serving these areas.

He said the Brong Ahafo region had one psychiatrist who is on retirement, the Volta Region; one, the Ashanti Region; three of which one was on retirement, the Central Region; three, the Greater Accra region; seven while the Eastern Region has none.

Dr. Osei said the Mental Health Act would provide remedies to challenges that bedeviled Mental Health Care in the past, indicating the Act, among others, provided the procedures for admission and treatment of mental health patients, their basic human rights, complaints about management and offences committed against them which requires prosecution.

SOURCE;GHANAWEB

ENERGY DRINKS INCREASE THE RISK OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

Energy drinks can lead to mental health problems and drug and alcohol abuse in teenagers, researchers have warned.

Their findings have been published just a day after it emerged a teenager's heart stopped three times after downing 10 Jagerbombs mixed with Red Bull.

Jayde Dinsdale, 18, was drinking the Jagermeister spirit and energy drink shooter, which cost £2.20 for two, on a night out with friends, in Yeovil, Somerset.

But as the alcohol wore off, the high levels of caffeine in her system took control of her heart rate - causing it to accelerate dangerously out of control, medics have since said.

She suffered three heart attacks and temporarily 'died' on her bathroom floor after she downed ten high-caffeine Jagerbombs on a 'two-for-one' promotion night.

The new research, published in the journal Preventive Medicine, found that students prone to depression - and those who smoke marijuana or drink alcohol - are more likely to consume energy drinks.

Among the 8,210 high school students surveyed, nearly two thirds reported using energy drinks at least once in the past year, with more than one in five consuming them once or more per month.

And worryingly, it was the younger high school students who were more likely to consume energy drinks than older ones.

Last month researchers at the University of Michigan reported that teenagers who drink energy drinks are much more likely to also drink alcohol and use drugs. They are also more likely to start smoking.

They suggested this could be because teenagers who are ‘sensation-seekers’ or ‘risk orientated’ are more likely to drink energy drinks.

In turn, having these character traits means they are also more likely to experiment with other substances.

Energy drinks have been associated with a number of negative health effects, including cardiovascular symptoms, sleep impairment and nervousness and nausea. The side effects are caused by the beverages' high concentration of caffeine.

Study author Dr Sunday Azagba said: 'Marketing campaigns appear designed to entice youth and young adults. It's a dangerous combination, especially for those at an increased risk for substance abuse.'

The researchers from the University of Waterloo and Dalhousie University in Canada, are calling for limits on teens' access to the drinks and reduction in the amount of the caffeine in each can.

Dr Azagba said: 'The trends we are seeing are more than cause for concern, particularly because of the high rate of consumption among teenagers.

'These drinks appeal to young people because of their temporary benefits like increased alertness, improved mood and enhanced mental and physical energy.'

In recent years energy drink sales have skyrocketed, with sales predicted to reach $20 billion in 2013 in the United States alone.

Dr Azagba said: 'In our opinion, at the very least steps should be taken to limit teens' access to energy drinks.'

She added there was also a need to increase public awareness and education about the potential harms of these drinks and to minimise the amount of caffeine available in each drink.

'This won't eliminate the problem entirely, but steps like these can help mitigate harm that appears to be associated with consumption of these drinks.

'This is something we need to take seriously. Change won't happen without a concerted effort.

The study was based on data from the 2012 Student Drug Use Survey, consisting of a representative sample of junior and senior high school students from three provinces in Atlantic Canada.


SOURCE;GHANAWEB

Ashanti records second set of test tube babies

For the second time, the Peaceland Clinic at Suntreso in Kumasi has delivered a set of triplets, two females and a male, through In Vitro Fertilisation and Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET).

Two embryos were transferred to the mother, but one divided into two, resulting in two identical twin girls and a male.

In September 2013, the clinic recorded its first set of IVF triplets popularly referred to as test tube babies, for a couple from the Brong Ahafo Region.

Assisted reproductive services have been available in the country since the early 1990s, but couples in the Ashanti Region and other regions had to travel to Tema and Accra in the Greater Accra Region for such services.

IVF services, which are now available in Kumasi, have brought some relief to couples seeking such treatment for infertility.

The Medical Director and Fertility Specialist of the Peaceland Clinic, Dr Rudolph Kantum Adageba, who confirmed this told The Mirror that procreation for certain couples could not be possible through natural means due to some medical conditions.

Dr Adageba said he and his team of fertility specialists were overwhelmed with the successful outcome of the treatment.

The mother of the triplets, Mrs Juliana Oppong, 35, shared her ordeal of wanting to bear a child for the past seven years since she got married to her husband, Mr Oppong, 40.

She expressed her gratitude to the doctor for the advice and assistance for her successful delivery.

She appealed to the general public with similar fertility problems to seek specialised medical treatment instead of blaming witches for their inability to conceive.

Ghanaians should brace up for emergency outages - VRA

The Volta River Authority (VRA) says the emergency load management programme implemented across the country as a result of energy shortfalls will be in force a little longer.

It says Ghanaians should brace up for “some kind of emergency outages”.

These were made known by Samuel Kwesi Fletcher, the Head of Corporate Communications at VRA, in an interview with TV3’s Sandra Amarquaye on Friday, March 7.

Gas pressures are low, and the volumes are also extremely low, Mr Fletcher adduced.

He said measures have been put in place “to make sure that the volumes are increased to levels that will help run the machines”.

Last month, the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) warned of more interruptions as a result of an emergency shutdown at the Aboadze Thermal Plant in the Western Region.

The load management company, therefore, asked Ghanaians to conserve electricity “by switching off appliances and equipment which are not in use.”

Mr Fletcher noted that the situation has not changed and so Ghanaians should continue to conserve electricity.

Cwesi Oteng drops new song, calls it ‘Yesu’

                  


Cwesi Oteng has dropped a brand new joint titled: “Yesu”.

In his special way of delivery, he plays it all out beautifully.
 
I have listen to it personally and very inspirational

Scroll down to enjoy…






SOURCE;GHANAWEB

GAA TO BEGIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CIRCUIT OF FOUR CITIES

As part of its medium- to long-term goals to promote Athletics in every corner of the country, the Ghana Athletics Association has designed a trailblazing athletic 4-competition circuit beginning on March 29, 2014 in Wa, Upper West Region.

Two other competitions will follow in Takoradi and Ho. Individual athletes will cumulate points from these three competitions, with the 8 highest point scorers in each event being invited for the circuit final, which in 2014 will be in Accra, at El-Wak stadium. The cities will change each year so that by the end of a three-year cycle, each region would have hosted a national-level athletics competition.

Beyond dispersing athletics across the country, this venture will also ensure that home-based athletes get four additional competitions a year. This should be a welcome addition on the athletics calendar, given that one of the most major concerns of athletes in Ghana has been that there are hardly enough competitions for the home-based athletes.

In response to a phenomenon dictated by the presence of synthetic athletic tracks in only four regions of the country—i.e., in the Greater Accra, Western, Northern, and Ashanti regions—the initiative seeks to break the monopoly of hosting national level competitions in just Accra, Takoradi, Tamale, and Kumasi, which has been predicated on the foundations that the youth in all regions of the country deserve to have access to prestigious national caliber competitions and thereby to the benefits of sports.

Also, it promises a further benefit for Ghanaian athletes in that, it would afford home-grown Ghanaian talents the opportunity to hone themselves into competitive shape and even to qualify for international competitions, including the imminent Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The format of the circuit will comprise four competitions in four selected regions of Ghana—two with synthetic tracks and two without synthetic tracks—in which athletes cumulate points with a goal of making into the top eight of ranked athletes in their event. The fourth and culminating competition will be the circuit final, (comprising only straight finals in every event) to which only the top eight athletes in each event will be invited. The final will allow athletes to earn double the points available at the earlier competitions, and the top three in each event will be eligible for prizes.

The events at each circuit competition will be: 100m/400m/1500m/5000m/Long Jump/Discus Throw/Shot Putt – for men; and 200m/800m/3000m/ Triple Jump/High Jump/Javelin Throw – for Women. These events will rotate in the subsequent year.

The National Circuit Championship is scheduled as follows:

29th March, 2014 : Wa Sports Stadium, Upper West Region

19th April, 2014 : Essipong Stadium, Takoradi-Western Region

17th May, 2014 : Ho Sports Stadium, Volta Region

7th June, 2014 (tentative) : El-wak Stadium, Greater Accra Region

As this is purely an individual competition where (individual) athletes earn points that they can translate into prizes, the Ghana Athletics Association is extending its invitation to all athletes in Ghana to participate in the National Championship Circuit.

Interested athletes should contact their respective Regional Sports Authorities for registration and any further information.

SIGNED

Dominic Kankam

Secretary General

+233 273 202 946

SOURCE;Ghanaweb