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Wa, Ghana – Inspector Niabi Stella, the Station Officer for the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service in the Upper West Region, has called on men t be part of the advocacy to end domestic violence against women.
She said there was the need for men to understand that women are part of them and it takes two to make a family.
She made this known to Radio Progress in an exclusive interview on Monday whiles outlining some domestic violence cases reported to the Unit as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.
She stated that as at the third quarter of the year 2018, one hundred and forty-four (144) cases of assault were reported to the Unit as against 179 cases reported in 2017.
She said most of the assault cases were against women though men usually tend to shy away from reporting assault cases against them.
Thirteen defilement cases were also reported as at the third quarter of the year as against 15 cases last year.
She also noted that five (5) rape cases were reported under the period as against 15 cases reported last year.
The Station Officer for the DOVVSU Unit also raised concern about many men failing to provide for their families.
She said at the third quarter of the year, 43 failure to provide cases were reported to the Unit as against 62 of such cases reported to the Unit last year.
She called on Men to leave up to their responsibilities and not abandon their roles for women noting that children suffer the most in such instances.
Inspector Niabi Stella sighted instances where some men are unwilling to pay GH₵100 monthly to cater for the needs of their children from broken relationships.
She described the situation as pathetic and worrying noting that others even agree to provide three bowls of maize and GH₵20 for the women to cater for about three to four children monthly.
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign to end violence against women and girls.
The campaign runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day.
In Ghana, one in five women aged between 15 and 49 experience sexual violence in their lifetime.
Globally, a staggering 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
By Savannahnewsonline.com/Mavis Okyere
