By Philip Tengzu
Wa (UW/R), Sept. 14, GNA – RUWA-Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Wa, has called for a reduction in the medical examination fees in cases of Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) to encourage victims to report such abuses promptly.
“RUWA-Ghana encourages stakeholders to pressurise the authorities to come out with a policy on payment of medical examination fees by victims of SGBV since it is an extra burden on them and tends to discourage many from reporting,” the NGO said.
A statement signed by Mr Masud Aziz Rauf, the Executive Director of RUWA-Ghana, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa, said victims were issued police medical examination forms at a cost of GH₵300.00, which was quite expensive for the ordinary person to bear.
The statement was necessitated by an assault on a 21-year-old woman, identified as Amama (not her real name), in Wa by his brother on Monday, September 4, 2023 “over a trivial matter of pouring dirty water in front of her door.”
It said the young man, a tricycle rider, was subsequently arrested by the Upper West Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DIVSU) after the survivor reported the case with the assistance of RUWA-Ghana.
The victim was issued a police medical examination report form at a cost of GH₵300.00, which was paid by Thelma Akyere Hayford, the Gender Advisor at Oxfam Ghana.
The young man, identified as Razak (not his real name), admitted beating his sister for disrespecting him and threatening to kill her or drive her out of their father’s house.
“He was released on bail on September 6 after his mother and the president of the local Tricycle Drivers Association persuaded Amama to withdraw the case,” the statement said.
“Razak later signed an undertaking promising not to repeat the act.”
While commending Amama for the bold step in reporting the incident to the police, the NGO expressed regret that she yielded to pressure from the mother and the Association to withdraw the case.
“RUWA-Ghana expresses concern over the prevalence of SGBV in the Upper West Region and the tendency of victims to withdraw cases due to family and social pressure,” it said.
The NGO called for increased awareness and action against SGBV and urged women and girls to report such abuses to the necessary authorities for the appropriate actions to be taken.