OccupyGhana has condemned the actions of the principal of the Gushegu Midwifery Midwifery Training School, where a pregnant student was stopped from writing exams due to her condition.
The incident generated outrage, especially when it emerged it was not a national policy employed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) but one employed unilaterally by the principal of the school.
In a statement issued Friday, the pressure group condemned the actions in no uncertain terms, deeming it ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘s*xist’.
Read full statement below…
12th May, 2017
OCCUPYGHANA® PRESS STATEMENT
OCCUPYGHANA® CONDEMNS SEXIST ACTION AGAINST PREGNANT NURSING STUDENT
OccupyGhana® is shocked and dismayed at the news that a nursing student at the Gusheigu Midwifery Training School was on Wednesday 10th April 2017, prevented from writing an exam because she was 4 months pregnant.
This unconstitutional practice, which has gone on for years, is apparently based on a rule in the student handbook in our Nursing and Midwifery Training Schools. The rule demands that pregnant women defer their courses while those who abort their pregnancies are dismissed (Daily Graphic, May 28 2016)
It is regrettable that pregnancy discrimination persists, even though CHRAJ declared as illegal, the barring of pregnant students from writing exams in a case involving the same Nurses and Midwifery Council just last year.
We unequivocally condemn this sexist, archaic and totally unacceptable practice and emphasise that pregnancy must not be a barrier to the education of women. It is in clear violation of the Constitution’s anti-discrimination provisions.
We note that the Nursing and Midwifery Council has condemned the action of the Principal and we expect that this will be immediately followed by the strongest possible sanctions to serve as a deterrent to other schools. In addition we would fully support the student, Mrs. Cecilia Awuni, should she decide to seek legal redress.
Yours in the service of occupying minds for God and Country
OccupyGhana®