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 in the Ashanti Region.

Inspector Louisa Suglo of the Obuasi Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) revealed this at a sensitization programme 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).

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 everyday 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 per cent of murder cases were perpetrated against women by intimate mates, according to the (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 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 on the need for women and girls to report cases of domestic violence to DOVVSU.

The sensitization programme was organised by the Obuasi East District Assembly in partnership with Anglogold Ashanti, CHRAJ and DOVVSU.

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

He said the laws of the country, ACT 732, 2007, clearly spells 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.

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

“We supported this sensitization programme 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 Assemby’s offices are opened to receive and act on complaints of violence and abuses against them.