The government is reviewing gender-based violence legal frameworks to empower communities to speak and act appropriately against the various cases of abuse that affect women and girls.
This includes the Domestic Violence Act and its Legislative Instrument, the National Domestic Violence Policy and the National Gender Policy.
The Minister-designate for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Lariba Zuweira Abudu disclosed this in Accra on Tuesday at an awards night as part of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign.
She stated that one thing that affects all countries generally, especially Africa was gender-based violence which includes; intimate partner violence, female genital mutilation, harmful widowhood rights, child marriages and forced marriages which have deep cultural and religious roots.
“For example, some women have been socialized to accept that it is normal to be abused by their husbands. Others equally think it is proof of love for a man to beat his wife. This is one of the reasons why daily we read and hear in the news about the various cases of abuse that are meted out to women and girls,” she said.
According to Madam Abudu, the ministry also believes in empowering communities to speak and act appropriately against the various waves of abuse that affects women and girls, adding that the concept of paralegals was introduced in 2019 and so far, over 80 market executives have been empowered with basic knowledge in the legal frameworks to respond and help survivors in their communities.
Madam Abudu indicated that the government would not relent in efforts to provide empowerment opportunities for women and girls as well as support all structures working in the areas of prevention, prosecution and rehabilitation of survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
“Ending sexual violence against women and girls is possible,” she reiterated.
The Minister used the occasion to acknowledge individuals and organizations that were making significant progress in the prevention, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of sexual and gender-based violence across the country.
The 16 Days of activism campaign against sexual and gender-based violence is an annual international campaign that calls for the elimination of violence against women and girls.
Priscilla Nimako, ISD
