Don't settle defilement cases at home" -Mrs Abban

Gomoa Afransi (C/R), May 11, GNA - Mrs Barbra Victoria Abban, Central Regional Coordinator of the Girl-Child, has urged traditional rulers, opinion leaders and politicians to avoid settling rape and defilement cases at home.

Mrs Abban said this at a three-day gender equality workshop at Gomoa Afransi in the Gomoa East. The workshop was sponsored by United Nation Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and organized for Chiefs, officials of the Gomoa East District Assembly, Media, Non Governmental Organization (NGOs), Religious leaders and opinion leaders. She explained that "such cases are first degree felony, because they are serious offences that should be handled by the court". "It is solely the responsibility of security agencies and government organizations to bring the perpetrators to book", she said. She noted that rape and defilement could damage the future of the victim and expressed concern about some chiefs, parents, heads of schools and circuit supervisors of the Ghana Education Service (GES), who conspired to settle these matters.

Mrs Abban appealed to the District Assemblies and traditional rulers to explain the harmful and dangerous effects of rape and defilement to young girls and urged them to be cautious with their dealings with men. The Regional Director of Ghana Education Service (GES) Mr Kwame Sarfo Kantaka in a speech read for him said the abolishing of school fees and the introduction of capitation grant at the basic schools has led to an increase in enrolment. According to the Regional Director, in the 2004-2005 academic year, Kindergarten enrolment went up from 500,000 to more than 800,000 whiles that of primary schools increased by 67 percent. Mr Kantaka noted that, Ghana is making a steady progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on universal primary education and gender equality in education in 2015. Mrs Betty Amissah, Gomoa East District Girl-Child Officer said a total of 13 school girls got pregnant during the 2009 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) but reduced to four this year. She said this laudable achievement was chalked because of the intensive educational programme embarked upon by the District Directorate of Girl-Child, on the dangers of teenage pregnancy and its related issues.