Abena said that women have the right to report any breach directly to the relevant authorities
Legal practitioner, Abena Boakye, has advised single mothers not to hesitate in taking legal action against fathers who neglect their responsibilities, urging them to use the Family Tribunal to demand child maintenance.
Speaking at the ‘A Convergence of Mothers,’ a forum held in Accra and hosted by media personality, MzGee, the lawyer emphasised that the legal system provides clear channels through which women can enforce maintenance obligations and ensure their children are cared for.
“People talk about the fact that some men don’t take care of their child. Please, mothers, you can go to the Family Tribunal for maintenance. You drive the man to court. It actually works,” she said.
The lawyer explained that once a court order is issued, women have the right to report any breach directly to the police and relevant authorities if the man fails to uphold his part of the agreement.
“When the fathers renege along the line after being responsible for a few months after the court decision, the women have the right to report to the police station, fill out a form, and bring a copy back to the court and Social Welfare,” she noted.
She disclosed that the courts are empowered to take stringent action in cases where fathers deliberately avoid their responsibilities, including issuing bench warrants and publicising the offender’s identity.
“In some instances, we issue bench warrants because if you don’t do the extreme, they won’t come back. There has been a case someone was evading maintenance; we hoisted his picture at Kotoka International Airport. For my boss, she would even publish it in the dailies,” she said.
Her call was part of a broader conversation on the challenges facing single mothers in Ghana and the need to empower them with legal knowledge and practical tools to protect their children’s welfare.
Themed “Yesterday’s Daughters, Today’s Mothers,” the event brought together women from various fields to share experiences and insights on raising children in Ghana’s changing social landscape.
It featured panel discussions on legal rights, parenting, child welfare, and mental health.
Abena Boakye’s contribution highlighted the role of the justice system in supporting mothers, while also challenging societal norms that often leave women to shoulder the burden of parenting alone.
ID/AE
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