Accra, Ghana//-Lawyer Mary Ohenewaa Afful’s hard work is paying off as she continues to fix the problems in the Ghanaian society.
She is going to train teachers to identify and report suspected cases of abuse amongst the school children to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Lawyer Afful is doing this under the Ministry of Education.
She is extremely grateful to the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum for his support and encouragement. “..it didn’t take him more than a minute to accept my Advocacy Programme for the entire educational sector”.
She is also forever grateful to everyone who has helped her in her human rights and child abuse advocacy so far.
“I am highly fulfilled. I have a great satisfaction in me that this is not just my personal project but rather, a project for the entire country. I feel that I have worked tirelessly for the betterment of society”.
This Advocacy project is for everyone. It is for all institutions for communities, our churches, markets, lorry stations, among others, according to her.
READ MORE: How Marital Problems Pushed Mary Ohenewaa Afful to Become A Lawyer – African Eye Report
“This project is my special kind of legacy to the world, the good people of Ghana and to all children in Ghana. And I am forever grateful to my Mother, my baby Chelsea and to God Almighty”.
How it all started
In 2021, she said she had the opportunity to extend her Advocacy in Schools to three educational districts with the help of the GES PRO, Cassandra Twum Ampofo.
Her only focus was to get access to the school children and educate them because she felt the need for society to get to know these acts of violence in their childhood so that, they would not stay in such toxicity for long.
“In February 2022, I had a call from one of the District Directors, particularly Ga West, of his appreciation of the Advocacy in his District. And asked me about my schedule for the year and if I could come back to his District again.
I told him I have stopped the Advocacy. Disappointed as he was he asked me to see the Directors at the GES Headquarters for any possible help so I can fully embark on the Advocacy again”.
The lawyer added that she then met the Directors at the GES Headquarters after several meetings and the Director for Guidance and Counseling, Mrs. Gifty Sekyi – Bremansu redirected her to give the education to the teachers to reduce the work load on her.
“I told them I will need to write a new book for higher education and add the psychological consequences of abuse because though I told myself I had stopped the Advocacy, I started reading on the psychology bit from December 2021 while resting at home and seeking medical treatment”.
Sickness and covid could not stop her
I needed that information even on my sick bed, for my own personal education to understand how victims of abuse can get help in dealing with their own PTSD. I also needed that information for myself so that I can appreciate toxic behaviours and how effective I can help or handle such people, Lawyer Afful explained.
Narrating further, Lawyer Afful said during the COVID-19 period in 2020, though she had time to stay off any field advocacies, she came face-to-face with many divorce cases and people dealing with marital issues.
Most of these underlying issues had to do with abuse. Then also, she noticed that most of them experienced deep psychological issues with these people who had stayed in toxic marriages for such long times.
Lawyer Afful started Women’s Rights Activism in 2010 when she released her first book titled “Women Issues” as soon as she was called to the Ghana Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor.
Book dedication to President Akufo-Addo
Then in 2011, she released her Human Rights Book dedicated to current President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo Dankwa ushering her into politics something she never anticipated.
“The dedication was to prove that he stands tall on issues on Human Rights works in Africa and beyond. But I lost a part of my life with just a ‘book dedication’.
Her dream to become a magistrate hit a snag due to politics
I inherited all his political enemies. I lost jobs etc. I wanted to go to the bench as a Magistrate and on three occasions, I was refused even though on the third attempt I had received a letter from the Judicial Service Secretariat of being among 16 people shortlisted and that a letter will be sent for interview etc.
That letter never came. I approached the office to enquire and I was told point blank that I am involved in Politics because of the book dedication”, she said.
More books released
Having gotten more legal practice experiences in handling many divorce cases, she recorded videos and posted them on her social media handles to educate the public and she released another book titled “Marriage, Divorce and Property Settlement”.
The media also called her to speak on rape and defilement cases so she decided to produce a book on that one too titled “The Laws on Domestic and Sexual VIOLENCE” in 2016.
Sometime around 2014 thereabout, lawyer released a book titled “Disability Laws” for persons who are physically challenged.
One thing that really touched her heart was the cries of mothers with disabled children and their inability to get “Special Schools” as well as financial and medical support for their children though the Disability Laws herein Ghana has stipulated that persons with disabilities must have access to free medical treatment from the State. And that law has never been implemented.
“I was so busy with myself to go for a government job. From 2016 too, I had started Advocacy Programmes in Schools, Churches, Markets and Lorry Stations etc. to educate the public on these acts of violence.
From 2010 to date, I have lived a career for society. Everything I have done had been to affect society in a very positive way”.
In 2018, she decided to dig deeper into the actual stages of abuse and domestic violence. That led her to release her book on “Cycle of Abuse”.
In 2019, Lawyer Afful started her own radio talk show on Accra FM just to listen to people with issues bothering on marriage, divorce, domestic violence and abuse, violation of their fundamental human rights and related issues.
African Eye Report
