Gun man
The Coalition on Domestic Violence Legislation in Ghana (DV Coalition) has expressed worry over the recent killing of women by their intimate partners.
The coalition described the increasing spate of partner killings within the last two months as senseless murders that must arouse the indignation of all.
A statement signed by Adolf Awuku Bekoe, National Coordinator of the Coalition, said spousal homicide was the outcome of several years of threats of death to women that were not taken seriously by families, responding state agencies and even faith based-organizations.
“The poor murdered women may have sensed this ominous day coming,’’ the group said.
It further noted that the state’s lack of commitment to the safety of women and children in the country contributed to the poor protection of women and children.
The pressure group said government had failed to prioritize the concerns of women and children regarding their safety.
“The paltry budgetary allocation to the Ministry for Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) and the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana police service reflects the level of seriousness government attaches to the safety of women and children in domestic setting,” the group said.
The group noted that since the passing of the Domestic Violence Act 2007 (Act 732), government had adopted a pedestrian approach to the protection of its citizens in the domestic setting, while the Dutch government contributed substantially to the implementation of the act.
“This is very disappointing; we cannot accept the situation where a foreign country appears to be more concerned about the protection of Ghanaian citizens in our homeland,” the group said.
The coalition also expressed concern over the abysmal performance of some officers within DOVVSU.
The coalition noted that although DOVVSU was doing its best to respond to cases of domestic violence, there were reported cases of officers downplaying reported cases of threats of death and asking victims to send invitation letters to the very people who had threatened to kill them.
The coalition therefore appealed to government to make a special monetary allocation to MOWAC and DOVVSU to step up public education on the prevention of domestic violence and provision in the Domestic Violence 2007 Act 732.
“The drafting of the legislative instrument (LI) for the effective implementation of the Domestic Violence Act 2007 should be fast-tracked in order for it to be enacted by parliament to ensure adequate resources for DV cases,” the statement noted.
It also called on the police service to take steps to ensure that reported cases were dealt with promptly and professionally so that victims were never asked to produce perpetrators, pay for service, or compelled to ‘settle’ with perpetrators or their families.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
