Government to upgrade DOVVSU

President John Dramani Mahama has assured that government would review the structures at the Domestic Violence and Victim’s Support Unit (DOVSU) of the Ghana Police Service and empower them to work effectively.

He said issues such as rape, defilement and violence against women were equally serious like murder, drugs and other criminal activities and therefore needed a serious approach to stem the growing phenomena.

President Mahama gave this assurance on Monday when various women groups and organizations called on him at the Flagstaff House, Kanda.

Their visit at the Presidency formed part of President Mahama’s resolve to engage all stakeholders to map out workable strategies for the socio-economic development of the country.

He has so far met the media, civil society organisations, members of the creative arts and would next week meet all vulnerable groups for the same purpose.

The women groups led by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection Nana Oye Lithur were made up of advocacy groups, empowerment groups, women in academia, market women, women in politics, queen mothers and women leaders in the religious sector.

They highlighted issues connected to education, training and employment, violence against women and children, discrimination against women and women participation and representation in the political dispensation of the country.

The President said the growing social problems of the country needed multi-sectoral approach to surmount and called on all women organizations to step up their educational programmes in order to nip in the bud all negative practices.

On women participation and representation in politics, Mr Mahama said much as government had worked hard to appoint more women to take up responsible positions in the country, their participation at the grassroots were abysmal as the figure kept dwindling on annual basis.

He mentioned key positions such as the National Commission for Civic Education, Attorney General, Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Ghana Prisons Service and the Chairperson of the Council of State as some of the positions that were occupied by women and appealed to them to engage more discussions that would whip up their enthusiasm.

The President reminded the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister to create a database on employment, poverty and participation of women as that formed part of her mandate to highlight pertinent issues in the country.

Mrs Edna Kumah, Executive Director of African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), who spoke on the security on women and girls, called for the relaying bills and acts laid in Parliament to be passed in order to ensure perpetual protection for women and children whom she said formed the majority of the vulnerable in society.