Difference Between Matrilineal Culture And Intestance

CULTURAL/CUSTOMARY PRACTICES ON INHERITANCE AND MAINTENANCE Akan as an ethnic group in Ghana practice the matrilineal system of succession. Under this system, the children of a man do not form part of his matrilineal family and therefore are not entitled as of right to succeed to or inherit any part of their father’s self-acquired property upon his death. Thus, traditionally, men from matrilineal communities tend to maintain the children of their sisters, who are entitled to inherit them, rather than their own children, who are not so entitled. Experience at FIDA-Ghana has shown that the problems of maintenance of children are even more manifest within the context of intestacy. Especially in matrilineal communities, where widows and children …show more content…
When a father refuses to acknowledge paternity of a child, the logical conclusion is that he will not maintain the child. Naming and outdooring ceremonies of children are common features of most cultures in Ghana. It is usually performed on the eighth day of the birth of the child, and by the performance of the naming ceremony; the child is considered a member of the family. In Ghanaian culture the naming of a child is very significant because not only does it give the child an identity, but it also establishes parental responsibility. Naming of the children in Ghana is consistent with the standards set by the CRC with regard to the child’s right to a name to ensure that every child is given the minimum form of …show more content…
In traditional society, the roles and responsibilities of males and females in household production are well defined. Men are expected to be the breadwinners and women are expected to provide services such as child bearing and care for the household. These demarcations have affected the training of male and female children in the household and affected the economic empowerment of women generally. In urban areas, access to the formal job market tends to be quite restricted for women, due to their limited educational qualifications and skills. Early marriages and teenage pregnancies also deprive young women of opportunities to enter and survive in the labor market. Increasing numbers of female headed households both in the urban and rural areas, majority of whom are classified in the lowest levels of poverty groups, are self-employed and have little or no education contribute to worsen the poverty situation of women in