Violence against women and children on the rise in Obuasi

It has emerged that there is an upsurge in domestic violence cases against women and children in Obuasi.

Inspector Louisa Suglo of the Obuasi Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) revealed this at a sensitization program held at Tutuka market in the Obuasi East District to create awareness on issues of domestic violence to mark 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Resolution 54/134).[1] The premise of the day is to raise awareness around the world that women are subjected to rape, domestic violence, and other forms of violence.

Inspector Suglo called for immediate action to curtail the worrying situation. “There are always new cases of domestic violence reported every day at the DOVVSU office. We are always confronted with issues of physical, emotional and sexual abuse against women.”

She emphasized that DOVVSU has for the past months put in place measures to end domestic violence against women and children by moving from one school to the other, to sensitize girls on how to guard against domestic violence.

Globally, 38 percent of murder cases were perpetrated against women by intimate mates, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), therefore, raising the alarm on the importance to implement stringent measures to address the canker.

Additionally, according to the statistics available at the Accra Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), as of August 2020, 31.9% of Ghanaian women have faced at least one form of domestic violence – physical, economic, psychological, social or sexual.

Inspector Suglo said plans are also afoot for DOVVSU to embark on vigorous campaigns to create awareness of the need for women and girls to report cases of domestic violence to DOVVSU

The Sensitization program was organized by the Obuasi East District Assembly in partnership with AngloGold Ashanti, CHRAJ and DOVVSU.

'Women should report attacks on them before it gets out of hand'

Samuel Asante Yeboah, Sub-regional director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on his part charged women to report cases of domestic violence immediately after it happens and not wait till it gets out of hand.

He said the laws of the country, ACT 732,2007 spell out punishments for those who perpetrate violence against women insisting that institutions like CHRAJ, DOVVSU and Social Welfare exist to offer help to victims of domestic violence.

AngloGold to support the campaign against violence against women

The Social Development and Gender Superintendent at Anglogold Ashanti Mavis Nana Yaa Kyei added that AngloGold Ashanti remains committed to empowering women by supporting the campaign to end violence against women and children.

“We supported this sensitization program at Tutuka because of our stance against violence meted. out to women and children”

Godwin Bansah, the Social Welfare and Community Development officer of the Obuasi East district also attributed the surge in domestic violence cases to teenage pregnancy and resultant early marriages.

He proposed that girls should be properly groomed in order to have a successful future.

Anna Aidoo Acquah, Gender Desk officer of the Obuasi East District Assembly assured women in the district that the assembly’s offices are open to receive and act on complaints of violence and abuses against them.