COMMUNITY SENSITIZATION ON DOMESTIC/SEXUAL & GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) remains a critical issue affecting the lives and well-being of individuals, particularly women, girls, children, and vulnerable groups in the country.

To address this challenge and commemorate the 16 Days of Activism, the Domestic Violence Secretariat, under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, held a one-day community sensitization program on Thursday, 5th December 2024, at Chorkor/Chemunaa in Accra.

The programme aimed to raise awareness, educate community members on their rights, and promote strategies for the prevention and intervention of SGBV. It also sought to encourage participants to recognize and report cases of Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence while raising awareness about the Orange Support Centre.

In an opening speech read on behalf of the Chief Director for the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dr. Afisah Zakariah, the Head of the Domestic Violence Secretariat, Madam Malonin Asibi, emphasized that domestic violence is never a private matter, as it affects families, communities, and the nation.

“Opinion leaders and community members should therefore report perpetrators to law enforcement and allow the law to take its course,” she stressed.

In her closing remarks, Madam Malonin Asibi urged everyone to be the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. “You can do this by acting as guardians of your community,” she added.

Resource persons from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DoVVSU), the Department of Children, the Ghana Health Service, Legal Aid, and the Domestic Violence Secretariat educated community members on issues related to domestic violence, relevant laws, and the health implications of SGBV.

The event was organized with the support of UNICEF Ghana and was attended by opinion leaders, assembly members, and students from selected schools.

Source: MoGCSP