CDD-Ghana advocates for full Implementation and Compliance with Domestic Violence Act

The Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has called on the government, Parliament, Judiciary and various stakeholders to act on the full Implementation and Compliance of Domestic Violence Act to save individuals, especially women from various forms of abuses.

The Domestic Violence Act is intended to protect all, especially women, and punish offenders of the crime.

CDD-Ghana made the call at a round table discussion organized to mark Social Equality Day celebrated worldwide today.

According to the Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, Professor Kwasi Prempeh, Violence against women and girls especially have a devastating impact on individuals and society adding that Domestic Violence needed a great deal of attention from authorities as well as individuals.

A recent national Domestic Violence prevalence research conducted by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in 2016, indicated that nearly 28 per cent of women experienced at least one form of domestic violence in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Hence, there is the need for an effective implementation of the Act, Prof Prempeh indicated.

Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Gifty Twum-Ampofo, Domestic Violence is a phenomenon of difficult dimensions prevalent in many families, communities, societies and culture across the globe. Hence, Ghana like many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa continues to experience domestic violence in its various forms.

The Minister, who delivered a keynote address, stated that despite the awareness by the Ministry of Gender and well-meaning organizations, more work needed to be done to protect victims of domestic violence.



She, however, noted that more work needed to be done especially with the provision of shelters and other interventions such as skill training where necessary and reintegration where possible for victims
She added that, “This remains only but a dream since the only domestic violence shelter is not operational and the fund does not have enough money to run the shelter coupled with the lack of professional staff.

Madam Gifty Twum-Ampofo, appealed to other state and non-state actors in issues of domestic violence to collaborate and build stronger partnerships and network as well as “pull resources together to fight this menace and give justice to those whose rights have been infringed upon.”