Focus Mothers’ Day On Women’s Welfare—A Celebration That Never Ends

'If you educate a man you educate only an individual but if you educate a woman you educate a whole nation’, Dr. Aggrey discerned the role of women in our nation when he made this remark. What are we making from this important thought that Dr. Aggrey left us as a nation? Women in all aspects deserve respect and attention to bring out their best. In some societies people demean women and sideline them in decision making.

In the modern society women should not be considered as back benchers. They are part of the civil society and should be involved in decision making at all levels. I am never perturbed why Mothers’ Day is more popularly celebrated than Fathers’ Day.

It even escapes men when is our day. Women are celebrated because of their importance. I anticipate how you used to treat ladies when you were a virgin and how you started respecting ladies when you broke my virginity. I don’t need a reference or confirmation to say that ladies are special.

There is a perception that women who don’t have children are heartless, has no remorse for wrong things they do in life and against innocent children. Mothers are important. Their importance is realized when they are no more. My late mother used to tell me how I used to be sick during my childhood and how she suffered for my life but my father has never told me this. My mother was a woman with few words but made sure her children obeyed her.

There are family issues I asked her, she didn’t say anything. After sighing would promise to discuss that later and would divert the topic. My mother, a very beautiful lady could not complete her course and was impregnated by her class teacher, a professional trained teacher who later divorced her.

Single parenthood
Most mothers are single parents taking care of their children. Life becomes unbearable resulting to immorality, rubbery, inductive abortions, prostitution and premature deaths. Social Welfare is now dormant system to control marital problems. The proliferation of churches has done much to counsel people, register their marriage and ensuring medical checkups before marriage. Some churches even announce the marriage for protest before marriage ceremony. These are reducing single parenthood in the country.

Government should enact bylaws to control the increasing trend of single parenthood. Men who after divorce disowning their children should change their attitude. Most irresponsible men are seeking DNA tests before accepting their children. If there was no trust, there shouldn’t be any relationship. Is a liability to the state if more children are fatherless. Places where there are industries, construction companies, mining companies and tertiary institutions like Weneba, Cape Coast, Kintampo, Kumasi, Ho among others, there are many street children without fathers. There should be measures else one day the fatherless population will be alarming. Men, let’s wake up and be more responsible.

What gents look for
Gents admire ladies’ stature, hair, and facial expression, choice of words, walking, dressing and at times makeup. Any good man wants a lady who will treat him and the people around him well. Men want to hear good news about the ladies they are interested in. Some men admire height, colour, smartness and hard work. Others look for neatness, educational background, profession, ethnicity, religion and social class. Men appreciate good character when it comes the choice of a partner. Ladies with good character both at home and outside get more attention than others. Some people do not look for any qualities. They just look for a lady, that’s all.

Good mother
Motherhood is very important state in women’s life. However, good mothers in our communities are few. Good mothers are women whether with children or not who bring people up in a manner that they will be accept in the society. A good mother trains children how to talk, eat, bathe and even whom to relate to. I informed my mother one day that I wanted to marry a lady and she vehemently disagreed that she is a ‘loose lady’.

The lady was very beautiful, attractively slim, quite and respectful. My love for her continued developing but any time my mother saw us together, she was upset. She would talk to her nicely but would scold me later. Although she called her my in-law, she would warn me seriously, ‘Akwasi, I have told you to be careful with this lady’. I had to obey my mother and forwent her. My mother may have her hidden agenda; but a wink from her should be enough. Good mothers treat people with respect and care. A good mother’s children must have a father, must not have multiple sexual partners. Must not insult people, must be a mother for all.

Bad mother
Mothers are a decider of the fetus. I know some of you reading this piece are ghosts. Several crude attempts were made to abort you but now you are alive because it was not successful. A mother would be described as bad if she aborts her pregnancy, dump their babies, flirt with men because of money and prosperity, juju their partners etc. A woman who is a gossip, thief, criminal or a witch is a bad woman. If a woman is quarrelsome, has no manners, doesn’t know how to prepare food, then she must be considered as a bad woman.

Hygiene
Women should practice personal hygiene. It is often observed that almost every woman bathes twice daily, changes hairstyles regularly, fixes nails, dresses smartly and brushes her teeth before going to bed. You are to cut finger nails, shave pubic parts, and wash underwear, air wigs before hanging them. Hygiene should be more regular during menstruation, pregnancy and lactation (during nursing babies).

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Mental health
As we celebrate Mothers’ Day, we should focus on their health and mental well-being. Many women who are not treated well suffer from depression. Women have higher rate of depression and infection than men. I am happy there are few free health services for women in Ghana, antenatal care, immunization, health insurance for pregnant mothers, and prophylaxis for pregnancy women against malaria, screening and bed nets.

Empowerment
Women need to be empowered. Women political representation should be equitable. More women should be appointed to hold public and private institutions. What men can do women can equally do it. Women who are professionals are more likely to get education, take good care of themselves, less get sick and purchase health insurance than those who are non-professionals. Let’s think about gender balance and women welfare as we celebrate the occasion. On behalf of the editorial team of Modern Ghana, I shout a big Happy Mother’s Day to all women in the world. With singular honour, I wish Vivian Laryea at Registrar General Department, Emefa Melissa Dawu, Doris Agyepong- Human Resource Unit, all at Ministry of Health, Mary Obeng, a teacher in Accra and my wife Janet Agyeiwaa Happy Mothers’ Day. Enjoy your day, but take care of yourselves.