Ending Gender Based Violence in Ghana, A Responsibility for All Citizens
By Abiba Asoma Listen to article
As we celebrate mother’s day today, it is important that we remind ourselves of the ordeal most women go through in their marital homes and seek ways to address this menace which has consistently been on the increase despite all interventions by various agencies over the last two decades.
Gender based violence is in two fold, but women most often fall prey to this social misconduct. Violence against women comes in various forms including; social violence, physical violence, psychological violence, economic violence and sexual violence. Report from the Ghana statistical service indicates that psychological violence has the highest percentage in Ghana.
It is estimated that one in every three women in Ghana are likely to experience gender based violence and it is more prevalent in rural areas of the country. Also, Statistics from the Accra Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victim support Unit (DOVVSU) revealed that 31.9% of Ghanaian women faced at least one form of domestic violence in 2020. This figure could be more as most women are afraid to report abuse meted out to them by their partners. Several interventions have been initiated by various state agencies to address violence against women in the society. In 1998, the Ghana police service established the Women and Juvenile Unit which was later changed to Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit in 2005.