Abolish Sexual Assault Victims Medical Exam Bills, it is hampering justice for victims – UNFPA

The National Programme Assistant for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr. Faisal Bawa, has underscored the need to abolish medical examination fees for all victims of rape and sexual assault in Ghana.

He noted that it was not proper for victims of sexual assault to be made to pay before the doctors would fill out the medical form, and or render the professional opinion needed to prosecute those who sexually assaulted them.

He said the UNFPA has been working with the Ministry of Gender, the Ghana Health Service, and the Ghana Medical Association to address the matter.

He disclosed that the UNFPA has also been working with the National Health Insurance Scheme to add that to the scheme.

It is a challenge and one of the issues affecting how rape and defilement cases are prosecuted in court, he lamented.

He made the remarks while speaking in an interview with Rainbowradioonline.com after he and representatives from UNFPA joined Act for Change, a non-governmental organisation, for their “Men’s March for Women’s Rights.”

The march was held on Sunday, December 10, 2023, to raise awareness of SGBV and harmful practices.

The walk forms part of the activities of its project, Transforming Men Movement, which held the first edition of the annual “Men’s March for Women’s Rights.”

Mr. Bawa noted that although this is a challenge, ‘we are having some success since several doctors are willing to provide that service for free’.

“But we are looking at how we can get the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to take it up as part of their responsibility to get their members to provide such services for free.”

He said the doctors ought to see this as one of the ways they could help end gender-based violence.

He stated that gender-based violence is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world.

He argued that GBV can affect the dignity, security, and autonomy of its victims, yet it remains shrouded in a culture of silence.

He said UNFPA, as a lead agency in working to respond to and reduce gender-based violence, supported the march organised by Act for Change.

He added that gender-based violence is one of the world’s most common human rights violations.

He maintained that GBV can impair victims’ dignity, security, and autonomy, yet it is cloaked in a culture of silence.

UNFPA collaborates with various organisations, including women’s and youth organisations, civil society, governments, and academic institutes, to combat violence against women.

They support interventions through prevention programming, service delivery, policy, laws, data, and research.

UNFPA also provides quality health, social, and justice services in humanitarian and development settings.

It also uses sexuality education as a primary prevention strategy to end gender-based violence, helping adolescents develop positive attitudes and values.