AFRO-NETS> Women and "honour" suicide in Ghana: Case Illustrations

[A Odutola <chpss_abo@yahoo.com>]

Women and "honour" suicide in Ghana: Case Illustrations
-------------------------------------------------------

Dear All,

The report below is posted for your information and to elicit more 
enlightenment from Ghanaian colleagues about the cultural and psycho-
social dynamics of "honour" suicide in women in Ghana.


A. Odutola
mailto:chpss_abo@yahoo.com


--
Women and 'honour' suicide in Ghana: Case Illustrations

Datelinehealth-Africa Newswire
09/12/02


GHANA, Fawohoyeden (Western Region) - A 29-year old housewife, Abena 
Dagarti, last Saturday allegedly shot herself dead with her husband's 
locally manufactured pistol at Fawohoyeden village near Dadieso in 
the Western Region. Police Inspector George Awuku and Police Detec-
tive A. C. Ahiaku told reporters that Dagarti, who was nursing a 
four-month old baby, allegedly stole 46,000 cedis belonging to her 
mother-in-law. The Police said when her husband Kwabena Yeboah con-
fronted her, Abena admitted stealing the money. Yeboah then asked her 
to refund the money and she agreed, but instead, she entered their 
room, picked her husband's loaded gun and shot herself. In another 
development, a 28-year-old widow, Abena Martha of Nyamedoma, a vil-
lage near Akontombra-Nkwanta in the Aowin-Suman District, last Sunday 
committed suicide by drinking an insecticide (DDT). The decease's fa-
ther Togbe Gbehu, told the Police that Abena, whose husband died 
about three years ago, stayed with her relative at Ahafo in the 
Brong-Ahafo Region. She returned a couple of weeks ago and came to 
lodge with him. Togbe Gbehu said Abena was alleged to have stolen a 
travelling bag belonging to the relative at Ahafo when she left 
Nyamedoma. He said on hearing about the theft he advised her to re-
turn the bag. However, Togbe said on the night of the same day, Abena 
drank the insecticide and was found dead the next morning with a DDT 
container by her side.

Source: 
http://www.mclglobal.com/History/Sep2002/11i2002/11i2n.html#m


Copyright © 2002: Ghana Review International

--
To send a message to AFRO-NETS, write to: afro-nets@usa.healthnet.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe, write to: majordomo@usa.healthnet.org
in the body of the message type: subscribe afro-nets OR unsubscribe afro-nets
To contact a person, send a message to: afro-nets-help@usa.healthnet.org
Information and archives: http://www.afronets.org