The Upper West Regional President of the Fulani Youth Association of Ghana, Mr Salifu Ahmed, has expressed concern about the discriminatory attitude of people towards people of the Fulbe tribe.
He said they are regarded as inferior in society and met with segregation in social activities. Mr Ahmed said this during a radio discussion on the "Ti Beo Gyine" programme produced by Curious Minds Ghana in partnership with Info Radio under the STAR-Ghana Foundation-funded Youth for Governance Project implemented in the Kperisi community in the Wa Municipality.
The project leverages youth volunteerism to undertake activities in the Kperisi community including radio discussions to help change the unfavourable attitude of stakeholders towards youth participation in decision-making and governance.
The 12-month project seeks to advocate for the inclusion of young people and vulnerable groups in the decision-making process and governance at all levels.
Speaking on the programme, Mr Ahmed cited an instance where he nearly dropped out of school at the senior high school level due to a discriminatory comment by a teacher against him just because he is a Fulbe.
“The marginalization against the Fulbe group is not a small thing. A Fulbe woman can go to the borehole to fetch water, and they will push aside and say you Fulani too. She has to wait for everybody to fetch and go before they can also fetch”, Mr Ahmed explained.
Talking about the involvement of persons with disability in decision-making, Mr Ahmed indicated that everybody is disabled in one way or the other and that disability is not only physical. He explained that every person has limitations in his or her reasoning which is why the President has advisors.
A caller, who identified himself as Moomin from Danku, observed that any person can be disabled at any time so there should be a space for persons with disability in society. He added that God gives them special skills and qualities at birth so they should be respected in society.
In many communities across the Upper West Region, Kperisi included, vulnerable groups such as Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), women, children and youth, and ethnic minorities face significant barriers to full participation in society.
Despite national and international frameworks aimed at protecting the rights of minority groups, they often encounter systemic challenges, including social stigma, discrimination, and limited access to essential services like education, healthcare, and employment.
The exclusion of these vulnerable groups from local governance and decision-making processes not only undermines their rights but also weakens the overall development of communities.
Physical barriers, lack of reasonable accommodations, and prejudicial behaviours contribute to the marginalization of these groups, hindering their ability to contribute to and benefit from societal progress.
From schools to healthcare facilities, market squares to public offices, and transportation services, instances of exclusion are witnessed.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) sought to, among other things, promote equal access to basic life necessities including water and sanitation, healthcare services and education as well as reduce inequalities.
Impeding access to these services by some groups of people due to their ethnic or tribal orientation would, therefore, be inimical to achieving these goals.
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