Civil society intervention increases Kayayei phenomenon - DOVVSU

An official from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, has observed that activities of civil society groups to help liberate porters popularly called “Kayayei”, is rather aggravating their problems.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Holortu, in charge of DOVVSU in the Northern Region, explained that many of the girls who benefit from the various assistance by civil societies in the form of building their capacity in self help initiatives such as sewing and dress making, motivates others to become Kayayei.

He said: “The support by the various non-governmental organisations (NGOs)is a pull factor that encourages young girls in the region to migrate to the cities to ply (the) trade.”

He was speaking at a day’s forum organised by Urban Agriculture Network (UrbANet), an NGO, to educate young girls and women on gender based violence.

As part of the workshop, other stakeholders from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, traditional leaders and the Department of Social Welfare, took turns to educate the gathering on the Domestic Violence Act.

ASP Holortu said due to awareness creation in the region, many cases of domestic violence are being reported while most victims fails to cooperate with the security agencies to deal with perpetrators.

“We are not achieving our aim of prosecuting such people because victims often fail to testify due to threats and interferences by opinion and traditional leaders and many at times their husbands,” he said.

He said many cases goes unreported, and the situation is now improving because of the education.

“Even the less than 25 per cent of gender based cases are now reported”.

He observed that due to lack of parental control, children are involved in various forms of activities including hawking, stealing and premarital sex to cater for themselves.

ASP Holortu said the inability of some parents to educate their children, especially girls, on sex, had made them vulnerable, and this results in an increase in teenage pregnancy.

Mr Zakaria A. Rashid, Director of UrbANet appealed to traditional and religious leaders not to hold brief for any person suspected to have abused a woman or a girl.

“I will be happy if my elders will allow the law to work and the suspects be punished to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

He said a recent survey indicated that most poor women in the villages are being accused of witchcraft and being banished over mere allegations.

Mr Inusah Iddrisu, Public Education Officer of CHRAJ said the region top the number of witch camps in the country and called on community leaders to enact laws to halt the labelling of women especially widows as witches.

“In Ghana, it is only the Northern Region that has seven witch camps with a population of not less than 100 women in each camp,” he said.