A viral meme claims that “in Ghana when you go for divorce, you have to dress the way you were dressed on your wedding day”.
The claim is accompanied by a photos of three couples dressed in wedding attire.
It has been shared several times on Facebook and other social platforms. One, posted on 21 April 2018, has been shared by more than 5,000 Facebook users.
The first indication the photo used in the meme has been manipulated as being in Ghana is the French inscription on the wall.
It’s unlikely that an inscription on the wall of a government office in Ghana would be written in French, considering that Ghana’s official language is English. There is also the tiny writing “JUST FUN” on the photo.
A reverse image search on TinEye shows the image has been used several times on the internet, with the oldest dating back to 2009.
It also shows the photo on Alamy, a platform that sells images sourced from photographers and photo agencies.
Alamy registered the photo as taken by Becky Matthew in January 2009 and the caption says it was taken when “friends and family gather for the group wedding of six couples in the church at the Lacekocot Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Pader District, Uganda”. It says the photo captured three of the six couples sitting and praying.
Besides, we checked Ghana’s marriage law, which stipulates the requirements and processes for marriage and divorce.
It does not mention of any dress code for couples seeking a divorce. – Allwell Okpi (21/05/2019)
The claim is accompanied by a photos of three couples dressed in wedding attire.
It has been shared several times on Facebook and other social platforms. One, posted on 21 April 2018, has been shared by more than 5,000 Facebook users.
Original photo taken a decade ago in Uganda
The first indication the photo used in the meme has been manipulated as being in Ghana is the French inscription on the wall.
It’s unlikely that an inscription on the wall of a government office in Ghana would be written in French, considering that Ghana’s official language is English. There is also the tiny writing “JUST FUN” on the photo.
A reverse image search on TinEye shows the image has been used several times on the internet, with the oldest dating back to 2009.
It also shows the photo on Alamy, a platform that sells images sourced from photographers and photo agencies.
Alamy registered the photo as taken by Becky Matthew in January 2009 and the caption says it was taken when “friends and family gather for the group wedding of six couples in the church at the Lacekocot Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Pader District, Uganda”. It says the photo captured three of the six couples sitting and praying.
No divorce dress code in Ghanaian law
Besides, we checked Ghana’s marriage law, which stipulates the requirements and processes for marriage and divorce.
It does not mention of any dress code for couples seeking a divorce. – Allwell Okpi (21/05/2019)
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