The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), in collaboration with the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), has opened a four-day national training workshop to train stakeholders in the judicial, health and social sectors to strengthen the response to gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual harassment.
The workshop, which began last Monday, in Accra, aimed at equipping participants with knowledge of regional and international best practices for combating GBV and sexual harassment.
Participants were expected to have been trained to identify and screen the different forms of violence, and to provide judicial, clinical, psychological and social care for survivors and their families holistically.
The workshop brought together actors from the judicial, health and social sectors to build skills in prevention and survivor-centred response to cases of abuse.
Opening the workshop, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said the training had been designed to equip participants with knowledge to empower women and girls, promote gender equality and strengthen their contribution to sustainable development.
She said domestic and sexual violence had been violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms which had negatively affected the economic, educational and health outcomes of women and girls, and by extension the development agenda of ECOWAS member states, including Ghana.
Intervention
The minister said Ghana had ratified several international conventions and protocols, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Maputo Protocol, in line with the 1992 Constitution’s prohibition of violence and discrimination.
She said the government interventions had included the establishment of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, the Domestic Violence Secretariat, the Domestic Violence Courts and the Domestic Violence Management Board. “A 10-year strategic plan to end child marriage had been implemented, shelters for victims of trafficking had been rehabilitated, the Helpline of Hope Call Centre had been introduced, and an electronic case management system had been developed to improve reporting and coordination”, she added.
Stakeholders
Dr Lartey encouraged stakeholders to continue to network beyond the meeting to share lessons that would further promote the welfare and interests of women and girls.
She said the workshop had provided an opportunity for a coordinated national and regional commitment.
“We want to ensure that there has been a coordinated effort towards eradicating gender-based violence and sexual harassment in our nation and the sub-region,” she said.
The Director of the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), Mrs Sandra Oulaté Fattoh, in a speech delivered on her behalf, commended the country for the measures that had been put in place to eliminate violence against women and girls.
She said GBV had not been an isolated act but had reflected systems of domination and control rooted in gender stereotypes and patriarchal structures.
“It has been essential to deconstruct them and promote a culture of respect and equality,” she said.
Mrs Fattoh said according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the prevalence of physical and sexual violence by an intimate partner had ranged between 20 and 60 per cent in some ECOWAS countries.
She cited child marriage, female genital mutilation and rising violence during conflicts as continuing challenges in the sub-region.
She said Ghana had demonstrated determination through reforms and national initiatives, including the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, the Orange Support Centre and the National Strategy to End Child Marriage.
Survivor-centred response
The Programme Officer of the EGDC, Dr Odile Ndoumbé Faye, said the training had been the sixth at the national level and had been intended to provide practical tools for implementing ECOWAS policies on GBV and sexual harassment.
She said the focus had been on the survivor, from the opening of a case to its closure, to ensure confidentiality, proper handling and comprehensive support.
Source: graphic.com.gh
