Men Cautioned Against Sexual Abuse And Exploitation Of Girls With Disabilities.
The Bono Regional Vice Chairman of Inclusion Ghana and Secretary of the Dormaa East Chapter, Mrs. Hannah Amponsah, has urged fathers not to abandon their families after their wives give birth to children with disabilities.
She said fathers must support their wives in caring for children with disabilities to ensure they also experience parental love and attention.
Speaking at an engagement with persons with intellectual disabilities and their parents at Wamfie, the capital of the Dormaa East District, Mrs. Amponsah expressed concern over the increasing cases of men abandoning their homes after discovering that their children have disabilities.
She also cautioned men against sexually abusing girls with disabilities, stressing that they deserve the same dignity, respect and protection as everyone else.
Mrs. Amponsah noted that the ability of girls with disabilities to become pregnant demonstrates that they are human beings with rights and emotions, therefore men who genuinely love them must pursue proper consent and lawful relationships from their families, rather than sexually exploiting them and abandoning them after pregnancy.
The Dormaa East Chairman of Inclusion Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel K. Yeboah, urged parents of children with disabilities to love, protect and support them, stressing that God does not make mistakes.
He condemned the practice of killing, hiding or locking up children with disabilities due to stigma and called on parents to desist from such acts.
Mr. E. K Yeboah said Inclusion Ghana is committed to supporting children with intellectual disabilities through government assistance.
He therefore urged parents with children with disabilities to make them known to the leadership of Inclusion Ghana so they can access the necessary support and services stressing that there are special schools for disabilities and so enrolling them in such institutions can help develop their abilities and unleash their potentials for the benefit of their families, communities and the country.
During the meeting, several individuals with intellectual disabilities articulated the challenges they encounter within society, including instances of abuse.
They expressed feelings of being marginalized and dehumanized by their peers and the broader community, a situation they described as profoundly painful.
They urged all able-bodied individuals to embrace them and to recognize their inherent worth, advocating for a more inclusive and supportive society that extends the same friendliness to them as it does to others.
Story By: Kwaku Mensah Abrampa (GIFTs FM -Dormaa Ahenkro.
