Review support systems and laws on sexual violence in Ghana – NGO

Dr Jemima Dennis-Antwi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Centre for Health Development and Research (CEHDAR), has called for the review of Ghana’s laws and support systems for Sexual Violence (SV) to ensure victims get quick and easy help. That, she said, was necessary as sexual violence led to many unwanted pregnancies, creating a huge burden on society. She told the Ghana News Agency in Accra in an interview that sexual violence left a huge psychological trauma which affected the wellbeing of women which could undermine the future of young girls. Dr Dennis-Antwi said sexual violence impacted every community and affected people of all genders, sexual orientations, and ages as anyone could experience or perpetrate sexual violence. She stressed the need for the public, especially the youth, to be educated on what constituted sexual violence saying, ‘The elderly in society need to teach the youth to be patient enough to focus on their childhood and education for improved outcomes and reduce rate of teenage pregnancy.’ She said parents also needed to be educated on sexual violence to enable them to engage their children in positive discussions to guide the youth to be more purposeful in life. Dr Dennis- Antwi said a research report on community listening and E-survey on sexual violence in 11 regions of Ghana stated that victims of sexual violence needed access to sensitive healthcare, counselling and trauma-informed care for healing and recovery. The report recommended that the country strengthens and enforce laws on sexual violence. Superintendent Sylvester Asare, Head, Legal and Prosecution at the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) , Ghana Police Service Headquarters, said the establishment of the One-Stop-Shop’ for domestic violence cases at the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit at the Ghana Police Service Headquarters in Accra has helped reduce the adjournment of cases brought there. The Centre, he said, had been equipped with a clinic, shelter, social welfare office and a psychologist to provide psycho-social counselling for victims and survivors. He called for the establishment of a gender based domestic violence court in all regions to help reduce the number of times cases were adjourned and help serve justice to victims on time. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexual violence as any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments, or advances, or acts to traffic or otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work. Sexual violence might also take place when someone is not able to give consent; for instance, while intoxicated, drugged, asleep or mentally incapacitated.

Source: Ghana News Agency