COP Prosper Agblor, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo Danquah, other members of the police management board in a group photograph with Adelaid Annor Kumi and other stakeholders represented at the launch
The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana
Police Service have launched the 20th anniversary of its establishment at the
police headquarters in Accra.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery, in
an address advocated for zero tolerance for violence against women and children
in the country
Dery whose speech was read on his behalf by Madam Adelaide Annor Kumi,
Chief Director of the Ministry of Interior said violence against women and
girls (VAWG) was the most widespread form of abuse worldwide, affecting one
third of all women in their lifetime.
“Discrimination against women provides an authoritative explicit
picture of how the continuum of different forms of gender-based violence
affects women throughout their life cycle; and it is often exacerbated by
cultural, economic and political factors like displacement, globalization,
militarization and violent extremism.”
He revealed that violence against women and girls takes many
different forms, including domestic violence, sexual assault and harassment,
child/early and forced marriage, sex trafficking, so called ‘honor’ crimes and
female genital mutilation.
The Inspector General of Police, James Oppong Boanuah, whose speech
was also read on his behalf by Commissioner of Police, Prosper Agblor, said the
police administration was considering a proposal by DOVVSU officials to make
the unit a directorate as part of its 20th anniversary.
He said having metamorphosed from Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) to
DOVVSU, the emphasis on arrest had also been replaced with victim support.
He revealed that DOVVSU was created in 1998 as a specialized unit
for victims to boldly lodge complains of abuse against them and had since been
doing well.
He commended stakeholders for their support in ensuring that victims
get support and justice.
The Director General Of The
Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Commissioner of Police, Maame
Yaa Tiwaa Addo Danquah, in an address said the focal areas of DOVVSU includes
public education on issues of domestic and gender based violence, empowerment
of women and children with respect to their rights, bringing perpetrators of
domestic and gender based violence to book, supporting victims through
counseling and working with other stakeholders to meet the needs of victims
though building of effective support systems.
She revealed that as part of its commitment to providing credible
information on SGBV and child related offences, DOVVSU assists the country with
reliable statistics to be able to respond to the request from the international
community.
Present at the ceremony were representatives of UNICEF, UNFPA and
other stakeholders and members of the police management board.
The occasion was also used to commission the refurbished DOVVSU
crises response center at the police hospital annex.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey
