Seminar on violence against women opens

Accra (Greater Accra), 19 Feb '99 -

Mr Moses Mukasa, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) representative in Ghana, on Thursday stressed that the problem of violence against women must be tackled in a well co-ordinated manner that will involve all stakeholders at the family and community levels. ''The broad issue has become thematic. We must all become allies in the process and this is of key interest to all in the country." Mr Mukasa said this at the opening of a two-day seminar dubbed: ''Economic Violence Within the family'' organised by the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) in collaboration with the UNDP, UNIFEM and UNFPA in Accra. He said empowering women with education, skills training and better access to resources and mobilisation of consensus against issues of violence at the family and community levels would underpin the process of eliminating violence from the society. '' We need to strengthen and develop networks and alliances to address the issue of violence as they affect women and children as well as men.'' He said the physical and emotional consequences of violence against women have a bearing on reproductive and sexual health status of women and girls as well as their participation and productivity in national development. Mr Mukasa said a study has identified assault, rape, wife beating and female genital mutilation, among other things, as some of the major violence against women in the country. This is attributed to persistent gender inequality and inequity in social relationships, lack of education and access to resources as well as negative traditional practices. He said it is important that requisite facilities and support services, including counselling, information and education on issues on violence are provided to victims and the public to enable them to address the problem. Mrs Ernestina Hagan, Vice-President of FIDA Ghana, who chaired the function, said there is the need for a concerted action to curb the menace else the society will disintegrate. She said the seminar is opportune and will help tackle some issues and handle complaints and cases of violence in the most effective manner Mrs Edna Kuma, acting administrator of FIDA, said the association is aware of many instances where women who reported cases of violence against them to the Police have been sent away. She said campaigns have been initiated world-wide to create an atmosphere of public disapproval of violence against women and a consensus that it is unacceptable. GRi.../