One out of three women battered at least once

Accra, Nov. 2,GNA - Mr Adolf Awuku, Coordinator of Domestic Violence Coalition, on Wednesday said research had shown that one out of every three women in Ghana have suffered some form of domestic violence with 90 per cent of the perpetuators being men. Speaking at a public forum on the "Domestic Violence Bill in Ghana," he said the perpetuators of domestic violence included both the educated and uneducated and the victims were also from both categories.

"Victims of domestic violence included wives of judges, magistrates, security officers, pastors, ministers, teachers and whatever profession that one can think about," Mr Awuku said. He said the Bill was being pushed because it was more sensitive to gender issues as compared to the criminal code, which focused on sexual abuse as being perpetrated by only men.

He noted that the clause on marital rape was not for couples that lived in harmony but rather was for spouses who lived in real fear and pain.

Mr Henry Tackie, an official from the Attorney General's Department of the Ministry of Justice, said the Bill was being advocated because of the realisation that there was a social problem that needed to be addressed.