The Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM) in partnership with Actionaid Ghana (AAG), has spearheaded a groundbreaking initiative to safeguard the rights of vulnerable populations, in the Upper East Region.
WOM, a leading women’s rights organization in Ghana, hosted a pivotal learning and sharing forum to rekindle the advocacy in the operationalization of the Marriage Act and Intestate Succession Law (PNDCL 111).
This collaborative effort sought to promote and protect the rights and dignity of widows and orphans, ensuring socio-cultural and economic justice.
The forum’s inception stemmed from WOM/AAG’s annual Participatory, Review, and Reflective Process (PRRP) meetings in 2023, which highlighted pressing issues in the region. It came to light that family interference in property sharing after a spouse’s passing, particularly affecting widows, was a recurring concern.
This issue largely resulted from a lack of understanding and information about the law, as an intervention to settle any controversies surrounding property sharing.
To address this, WOM convened personnel from state institutions, including security agencies, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), Legal Aid, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Social Welfare’s Gender Desk, and District Assembly Coordinators from Bolgatanga Municipality, Bongo, Nabdam, and Talensi Districts.
The two-day engagement aimed to educate and reinvigorate advocacy and compliance.
Lawyer Abdulai Jalaldeen, facilitator and Upper East Regional Director of CHRAJ, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating “Relatives often interfere with the deceased person’s properties, chasing widows and children from their homes”.
“This constitutes illegal interference and intermeddling, punishable by law,” he noted.
He stressed the importance of obtaining letters of administration before managing the deceased person’s properties.
The project officer, Nancy Amiziah, said the forum marked a significant step towards empowering widows and orphans, promoting awareness, and ensuring compliance with the law.
“Together, we can create a society where widows and orphans are treated with dignity and respect, their rights upheld, and their futures secured,” she said.
