SDA women's ministries urged to establish counselling unit

Superintendent Alice Awarikaro, Deputy Coordinator, Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVSU), has called on the Department of Women's Ministries, Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church, to establish a Guidance and Counselling unit to support victims of violence and prevent abusers.

This, she explained would help the Ministry and the SDA Church to reconcile both the Christians who have fallen or ‘broken survivors’ through the preaching and the sharing of information that has power to heal the broken hearted.

"Some of the congregants may be battling with abusive issues, and are in the Church to seek consolation or support, may I suggest that you establish a Guidance and Counselling Unit to support victims and to protect abusers," she stressed.

Supt Awarikaro made the call at the Department of Women's Ministries of the SDA Church programme held in Accra on Sunday, dubbed: "End it now Adventists say No to violence,”. The programme is an initiative of women supporting themselves and standing up for each other against violence.

She also urged the SDA Church to make the Church premises a safe place where abused women and children and abusive men would all seek help, adding that: "However, you should not be quick to condemn or judge individuals because what the person may need at that time or moment is care.

"Though men can also be abused, records show that women and children are most often the victims of abuse and some men mostly being perpetrators," she said.

Thanking the Department of the Women's Ministries for the initiative for organizing such an educative programme for members of the Church and society in general, the Deputy Coordinator of DOVSU urged all to rise up and say no to abuses for lives to be saved.

"You have shown that your Church has a duty to sensitize its congregations on abuse, this is laudable," she added. Giving the background, Mrs Nancy Wilson, Wife of the President of the SDA Church, said "End it now" was a global initiative aimed at raising awareness and advocating for the end of violence around the world.

She said: "It also aims to mobilize Seventh-Day Adventists around the world and invites other community groups to join in to resolve this worldwide issue".

Mrs Wilson noted that the initiative, which extended to more than 200 countries and territories, was launched in October 2009, which is a partnership between the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the Department of Women's Ministries of the SDA Church.

Mrs Wilson said "End it now" is the most important stand the SDA Church has ever taken regarding violence against men, women and children.

"Through this campaign, more than 15 million Adventist Church members being men, women and children are expected to create a global movement that will be mobilized within their own communities, where each person will actively work to create awareness and share solutions on ways to end this global problem," she said.

Dr William Y. K. Brown, the Country Director of ADRA, said globally, 20 per cent of women and five per cent of men experienced violence whilst 27.7 per cent of women experienced the inhumane act in Ghana.

He expressed worry at how victims cover up for perpetrators saying "receding and not reporting perpetrators encouraged them to do more," he said. Dr Brown mentioned economic, emotional, social, psychological, physical and sexual as some forms of violence meted against people and ought to be stopped.

He therefore urged all especially Christians to be champions for reducing domestic violence in the homes, offices, schools, churches and neighbourhoods.

Madam Joy Searcie, the Director, Democracy, Rights and Rights at USAID, condemning abuse and violence against women said, it should not be tolerated as such acts affect development of a country.

"When women and girls are empowered and not given recognition they are likely to be disempowered. Power of education is needed to transform women immensely by making them bold to say no to violence," she said.

She urged women to take the campaign of "End it now" even further by collaborating with other women's groups for empowerment.

Dr Chris Annan-Nunoo the Executive Secretary of Southern Ghana Union Conference of SDA, bemoaning violence against women by other women as the most dangerous act; and called on all to be prepared to end violence now.

There was a drama performance on violence in the homes against husbands, wives, house helps, step children, a poetry recital and route protest match on the principal streets of Accra towards the ending violence against women in the country.