The Upper East Regional Director for the Department of Gender, James Twene, has described parents who neglect their responsibility of providing for their children’s basic needs as irresponsible.
Speaking on Dreamz FM’s Breakfast Today show, Mr Twene was reacting to a revelation by the Regional Director for the Department of Children, Georgina Aberese-Ako, who noted that during one of her community engagements, a parent stated that he would not sell his goat to buy sanitary pads for his girl child.
Mr Twene described such a stance as a display of gross irresponsibility, saying such comments should not come from any parent. He questioned who, then, should be responsible for meeting the needs of the child if the parent adopts such a mindset.
He warned that such neglect pushes girl children to depend on men for their basic needs, a situation he said ultimately leads to teenage pregnancy.
“Once you give birth, have it in mind that you have to bear the primary responsibility. Parents have to provide basic needs for their children,” he said.
Mr Twene called on parents to invest in their children, particularly the girl child, stressing that meeting a daughter’s basic needs is not a burden but a foundation for her dignity, safety, and future. He noted that a well-catered-for girl child is less vulnerable to exploitation and better positioned to succeed in life.
