Advocates and stakeholders have urged Ghanaians and institutions to move beyond awareness campaigns and translate their commitment to tackling domestic violence into coordinated, practical action, at a dialogue in Accra on Tuesday.
Victoria Debrah, wife of the Chief of Staff and advocate for women and children, delivered the keynote address at the event, organised by Trailblazers Ghana in partnership with Nuru Communications Group under the theme “From Awareness to Action: Building a Safe Community.” She described domestic violence as one of the most pervasive yet often hidden challenges facing society, cutting across age, class, religion and social status.
She said many victims endure physical harm, emotional pain and financial difficulty in silence, held back by fear, stigma and a lack of reliable support. “Silence must be broken. Systems must respond. Communities must act,” she said, stressing that no single group or institution can address the problem alone.
Mrs. Debrah called for a coordinated, multi-sector response, tasking the police to ensure justice, health workers to care for survivors, and social services to support recovery. She urged faith leaders to provide guidance and counselling, and policymakers to enact and enforce the legal frameworks needed to protect victims. To survivors directly, she offered this: “You are not alone, you are not to be blamed, and your lives could be rebuilt.”
Lynn Osei-Bonsu, Executive Director and founder of Trailblazers Ghana, said the dialogue was designed to shift the national conversation from discussion to delivery. She acknowledged that awareness of domestic violence has grown in recent years but argued that awareness alone has proven insufficient to reduce the scale of the problem.
“Awareness without action leaves too many voices unheard and too many lives affected,” she said, calling on authorities handling domestic violence cases to close gaps in current responses and improve coordination across agencies.
Osei-Bonsu called for the collective involvement of government institutions, development partners, educators and the youth in building safer communities, stressing that the responsibility for change belongs to everyone.
The event brought together government officials, civil society organisations, clergy, security personnel, health professionals, advocates, survivors and community leaders.
