NO FORCE MARRIAGE IN GHANAIAN COMMUNITIES IN CANADA

There is a misconception in Toronto and for that matter other parts of Canada that Ghanaian parents have been forcing their daughters into marriages against their will.

The rumor doing the rounds has it that, mainly the daughters are forced to go into marriages they do not want but are suppressed to love their husbands that they do not love.

A Ghanaian opinion leader in Toronto, [who did not want his name to be disclosed] notified this reporter about the ongoing misconception which was denting the image of mother Ghana in a foreign country here in Canada.

Upon notification of this rumor, this reporter went to town to conduct a wide range investigation to ascertain the truth or otherwise of this wild rumor to feed the general public.

However, investigation conducted revealed that it was never true anywhere in Toronto and for that matter the whole of Canada that in Ghanaian communities parents force their daughters into marriages against their will.

What came out through the investigation was that, in recent times, non Ghanaians who do not understand the Ghanaian customary marriage practices started to speculate that Ghanaian parents force their daughters into marriage against their will.

Indication was that, the young men and ladies have accepted to follow the Ghanaian customary marriage system thereby raising the rate of marriage ceremonies in various Ghanaian communities in Toronto and other provinces.

Almost every weekend whether in summer or winter, chiefs and opinion leaders in the communities support both parents of the men and women entering marriage to hold a successful customary marriage all for the youth to hate premarital sex.

The segment of the customary marriage ceremony where someone is delegated to go and bring the lady to give her concern to the marriage is where those who do not understand have been describing it as “force marriage”.

On June 23,2012 at the customary marriage between Benjamin Kwadwo Agyekum and Martha Akosua Kyeiwaa at My Savior Lutheran Church on Isleton, their colorful customary marriage ceremony really demonstrated to all that it was not true Ghanaian parents have been forcing their daughters into marriage against their will.

When Martha was presented to the gathering, she was asked three times whether she has accepted to marry Benjamin where she answered yes to all three questions then Benjamin put the ring on Martha's finger to seal the marriage.

It is now the duty of chiefs, opinion leaders' church elders and pastors to start educating people in their communities who may find Ghanaian customary marriage ceremony forceful to understand that it is not true appealed Mr. Opoku Agyeman a Methodist who was the Master of Ceremony [M.C]