Disability advocate cautions men against sexual abuse of girls with disabilities, urges fathers not to abandon families
A disability rights advocate has urged fathers not to abandon their families after the birth of a child with a disability and cautioned men against sexually abusing girls with disabilities.
Mrs. Hannah Amponsah, Bono Regional vice chairman of Inclusion Ghana and secretary of the Dormaa East chapter, spoke during an engagement with people with intellectual disabilities and their parents in Wamfie, the capital of the Dormaa East District. She expressed concern over a rise in cases of men leaving their homes after learning their children have disabilities.
Fathers must support their wives in caring for children with disabilities so the children receive parental love and attention, Amponsah said. She stressed that girls with disabilities deserve the same dignity, respect and protection as others.
Their ability to become pregnant shows they are human beings with rights and emotions, she said. Men who genuinely care for them should seek proper consent and pursue lawful relationships through their families rather than exploiting them and abandoning them after pregnancy.
Mr. Emmanuel K. Yeboah, Dormaa East chairman of Inclusion Ghana, urged parents to love, protect and support children with disabilities, saying God does not make mistakes. He condemned practices of killing, hiding or locking up such children because of stigma and called on parents to stop those acts.
Inclusion Ghana is committed to helping children with intellectual disabilities access government support, Yeboah said. He encouraged parents to register their children with the organization’s leadership so they can obtain needed services.
Special schools exist for people with disabilities, he noted, and enrolling children in them can help develop their abilities for the benefit of their families, communities and the country.
During the meeting, several people with intellectual disabilities described challenges they face, including abuse. They said they feel marginalized and dehumanized by peers and the wider community, a situation they called deeply painful.
They urged people without disabilities to accept them, recognize their inherent worth and help build a more inclusive society that treats them with the same friendliness shown to others.
