Article by: Austin Brako-Powers (NUGS Press and Information Secretay) +233 242 62 81 64
It’s all common to find our women dancing, exposing part of their body, and singing all in the name of alcohol. For the past one decade in the history of Ghana, our country has witnessed the proliferation of alcohol products with major advertisement in either a huge bill board in town or ads on our major television stations.
Until recently, the Food and Drug Board (FDB), the board in charge of food, beverages and drug regulation in the country placed a cap on alcohol advertisement on the nation’s radio stations and television stations.
This according to some report was to control illegal and unhealthy products marketed to the over twenty million consumers in the country. So beverage producing companies had to seek the endorsement of the FDB before advertising their products.
This measure of the FDB ensured the protection of the right of consumers who were growing vulnerable in the presence of food and drug producing companies both local and foreign. It also ensured that local drug and alcohol producers do not market their products in vehicles and towns to the Ghanaian public without a permit.
In simple terms, the safety of consumers was highly upheld by the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) in Ghana.
However, today’s story is totally different. With the country waking up to new alcohol products one after the other the picture is gloomy since our youth especially our women have now become the new face of alcohol in Ghana.
Today, Ghana could boast of an estimate of over 200 alcohol products inter alia the local Akpeteshie (locally-brewed Gin), Rosso!
Rosso!!, Barons Pusher, Kasapreko Opeimu, Monarch Ginseng bitters, Mandingo bitters, Kasapreko Cocoa Liqueur, Agya Appiah bitters, Castle Bridge, Kasapreko Alomo bitters, Kasapreko Lime Cordial a long side tot packs l ike Captans dry gin, Mafia coffee Liqueur whisky, Striker gin, Abe nsuo ginger gin etc.
These are not the only drinks available to the over twenty million Ghanaians. There are also western drinks at the service of our people.
However, the growing concern has been why today’s ad of alcohol drinks almost always features women as if our mothers, sisters and children are the icons of alcohol in Ghana these days.
Our radio stations and television stations have been inundated with ads of alcoholic products with gleeful women flying their weights here and there. The ramification of these alcoholic ads is disastrous to the health of our children and mothers, the two most vulnerable persons in our society.
It’s no surprise that, our universities are replete with research findings pointing to an high alcohol drinking attitude in our youths who see every day as a day for celebration as if it were an heavenly fanfare.
The fight for gender parity in Africa like what Europe underwent in the early part of 1970’s under the banner of Phyllis Schlafy and others can be replicated with the sound of victory in Africa if and only our women show the black man Patriarch society that they deserve such a recognition too.
It’s been close to four decades since African women agitated for equity in the male controlled states of the continent. Many victories had been won for today’s woman and these victories must not be sacrificed on the altar of pettiness and unnecessary petulance by the beneficiaries.
I can confidently say that, it’s been as a result of such victories that today our various African governments have passed affirmative actions after the other giving positions to our women in state institutions.
Liberia, a sub-Saharan African country elected the first woman President of the continent, Her Excellency Mrs. Sirleaf Ellen Johnson – a former economist of the Word Bank as a result of the genderquake.
In Ghana too, His Excellency Professor John Evans Fiifi Atta-Mills proposed to give forty per cent (40%) of his state ministerial appointments to women. This is no mean an achievement. Its recognition enough of the excellent role our mothers, sisters, and daughters can play when given the opportunity with the right resources and space.
The millennia question is what went wrong? Or what is going wrong?
Is the gender parity and equity battle being won? Does today’s woman in Africa identify herself with the feminist movements in the continent?
The answer to the above questions is a big NO!!
The feminists of the continent are too elitist and use big words in their speeches. These are some of the things killing the movements.
The average girl-woman feel disconnected from the feminist movement as a result of the inability on the part of the leadership to identify with the growing poor women in the continent. If you live a flamboyant life, do you expect me to identify myself with you especially when I am a loner and poor lass?
Another killer of the feminist movements in the continent has been IGNORANCE!!
Wherever one goes, one is faced with a growing ignorance as a result of girls dropping out of school. The average girl who gets to continue to the universities is four out of ten (4 out of 10) statistically.
The truth of this figure is the teeming street children visiting our streets like an Egyptian-like-locust selling all manner of items for their guardians. This dropout girl lives her life on the street making ends meet and how do you expect her to be identified with the movement?
Her burdens outweigh that of the movements in reality.
We have to do better as members of the feminist movement in Ghana and the continent at large.
We can either help to change the psyche of our women today for a better future or decide to sleep hoping for the rain of manna of self-consciousness to fall on our women.
Whichever direction we take, there awaits us some huge ramifications.
Total equity and respect must be our agenda.
Hey!!
Sorry!!
Can I ask you for a favour?
The ignition of my car is not working so can you help me PUSH (PUSHER) it plea-se!
Until recently, the Food and Drug Board (FDB), the board in charge of food, beverages and drug regulation in the country placed a cap on alcohol advertisement on the nation’s radio stations and television stations.
This according to some report was to control illegal and unhealthy products marketed to the over twenty million consumers in the country. So beverage producing companies had to seek the endorsement of the FDB before advertising their products.
This measure of the FDB ensured the protection of the right of consumers who were growing vulnerable in the presence of food and drug producing companies both local and foreign. It also ensured that local drug and alcohol producers do not market their products in vehicles and towns to the Ghanaian public without a permit.
In simple terms, the safety of consumers was highly upheld by the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) in Ghana.
However, today’s story is totally different. With the country waking up to new alcohol products one after the other the picture is gloomy since our youth especially our women have now become the new face of alcohol in Ghana.
Today, Ghana could boast of an estimate of over 200 alcohol products inter alia the local Akpeteshie (locally-brewed Gin), Rosso!
Rosso!!, Barons Pusher, Kasapreko Opeimu, Monarch Ginseng bitters, Mandingo bitters, Kasapreko Cocoa Liqueur, Agya Appiah bitters, Castle Bridge, Kasapreko Alomo bitters, Kasapreko Lime Cordial a long side tot packs l ike Captans dry gin, Mafia coffee Liqueur whisky, Striker gin, Abe nsuo ginger gin etc.
These are not the only drinks available to the over twenty million Ghanaians. There are also western drinks at the service of our people.
However, the growing concern has been why today’s ad of alcohol drinks almost always features women as if our mothers, sisters and children are the icons of alcohol in Ghana these days.
Our radio stations and television stations have been inundated with ads of alcoholic products with gleeful women flying their weights here and there. The ramification of these alcoholic ads is disastrous to the health of our children and mothers, the two most vulnerable persons in our society.
It’s no surprise that, our universities are replete with research findings pointing to an high alcohol drinking attitude in our youths who see every day as a day for celebration as if it were an heavenly fanfare.
The fight for gender parity in Africa like what Europe underwent in the early part of 1970’s under the banner of Phyllis Schlafy and others can be replicated with the sound of victory in Africa if and only our women show the black man Patriarch society that they deserve such a recognition too.
It’s been close to four decades since African women agitated for equity in the male controlled states of the continent. Many victories had been won for today’s woman and these victories must not be sacrificed on the altar of pettiness and unnecessary petulance by the beneficiaries.
I can confidently say that, it’s been as a result of such victories that today our various African governments have passed affirmative actions after the other giving positions to our women in state institutions.
Liberia, a sub-Saharan African country elected the first woman President of the continent, Her Excellency Mrs. Sirleaf Ellen Johnson – a former economist of the Word Bank as a result of the genderquake.
In Ghana too, His Excellency Professor John Evans Fiifi Atta-Mills proposed to give forty per cent (40%) of his state ministerial appointments to women. This is no mean an achievement. Its recognition enough of the excellent role our mothers, sisters, and daughters can play when given the opportunity with the right resources and space.
The millennia question is what went wrong? Or what is going wrong?
Is the gender parity and equity battle being won? Does today’s woman in Africa identify herself with the feminist movements in the continent?
The answer to the above questions is a big NO!!
The feminists of the continent are too elitist and use big words in their speeches. These are some of the things killing the movements.
The average girl-woman feel disconnected from the feminist movement as a result of the inability on the part of the leadership to identify with the growing poor women in the continent. If you live a flamboyant life, do you expect me to identify myself with you especially when I am a loner and poor lass?
Another killer of the feminist movements in the continent has been IGNORANCE!!
Wherever one goes, one is faced with a growing ignorance as a result of girls dropping out of school. The average girl who gets to continue to the universities is four out of ten (4 out of 10) statistically.
The truth of this figure is the teeming street children visiting our streets like an Egyptian-like-locust selling all manner of items for their guardians. This dropout girl lives her life on the street making ends meet and how do you expect her to be identified with the movement?
Her burdens outweigh that of the movements in reality.
We have to do better as members of the feminist movement in Ghana and the continent at large.
We can either help to change the psyche of our women today for a better future or decide to sleep hoping for the rain of manna of self-consciousness to fall on our women.
Whichever direction we take, there awaits us some huge ramifications.
Total equity and respect must be our agenda.
Hey!!
Sorry!!
Can I ask you for a favour?
The ignition of my car is not working so can you help me PUSH (PUSHER) it plea-se!
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