40 Traditional Authorities pledge support for education and campaign against domestic violence in Central Region communities

In a bid to promote intensive education and campaign against all forms of domestic violence in communities, 40 traditional authorities, including chiefs, queens, and opinion leaders in the Central Region have pledged their support. This call for collaboration was made during a two-day summit organized by the Domestic Violence Secretariat under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the Christian Health Association of Ghana in Cape Coast.

The summit also aimed to reduce stigmatization and discrimination against persons living with tuberculosis and improve awareness, reporting, and providing support for persons affected with HIV or TB and survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) at the community level. The facilitators from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) and Ghana AIDS Commission gave presentations on domestic violence, SGBV, HIV and AIDS prevalence, and issues of stigma.

According to Hajia Saphia Tamimu, the Senior Programmes Officer at the Domestic Violence Secretariat of the MoGCSP, community involvement is crucial to improving health outcomes and protecting and supporting members of the community. She urged the participants to support the campaign to curb SGBV issues in their respective communities and report sexual issues to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit.

The statistics from the 2016 Ghana Domestic Violence Survey showed that approximately 27.7% of Ghanaian women had experienced at least one form of domestic violence. This highlights the importance of community involvement and support in tackling this issue.

Chief Superintendent of Police George Appiah Sakyi, the Central Regional Coordinator of DOVVSU, reiterated the commitment of DOVVSU to partner with various agencies to educate the public on the effects of SGBV and the need to report such cases to the police. He also advised stakeholders not to hesitate in reporting related cases to the police for the appropriate action to be taken.

For the most part, the summit was aimed at strengthening community systems to reduce stigmatization and discrimination against persons living with tuberculosis and survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). It was also to promote intensive education on domestic violence and its prevention in communities. The call for collaboration from the traditional authorities signifies a step in the right direction towards curbing domestic violence in Ghanaian communities.

Source: Graphic Online.