By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Nov 29, GNA – Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, says the Ministry in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has trained over 120 market women executives to serve as paralegals in eight markets across the country.
She said the trained market women executives, who operated in the markets in the Greater Accra, Western, Bono East and the Northern Regions, worked to assist survivors of Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in the markets and their own communities.
She explained that “The women are serving as watchdogs; they will report any SGBV to the appropriate quarters. So, we trained them on what to do, what to look out for and where to report. So, they are within your communities and in the market space that you do not know but they are watching.”
Hajia Abudu said this during the national launch of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against SGBV in Tamale.
The 16 Days of Activism Campaign against SGBV is an international campaign commemorated from November 25, through December 10, every year, and this year’s commemoration is on the global theme: “UNiTE: Activism to end violence against women and girls”.
The event, organised by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection with support from the UNFPA and OXFAM, was preceded by a walk by representatives of state institutions and non-governmental organisations through the principal streets of Tamale to raise awareness on the SGBV.
Hajia Abudu said the Ministry was also working to improve the conditions of its shelters across the country by refurbishing them to be able to accommodate survivors of SGBV whilst their cases were being processed for court and or settled and appealed to NGOs to support the Ministry in that regard.
She raised concerns about the increasing cases of SGBV in the country, attributing the trend to cultural and traditional practices amongst others and urged all partners to come together to stop SGBV, especially in the Northern Region.
She called on all partners to be very intentional in their activities to prevent SGBV by investing in SGBV policy formulation, building legal frameworks, quality education and other empowerment opportunities and programmes for women and girls.
She said as part of efforts to fight SGBV, the Ministry had completed the first part of the review process of the Domestic Violence Act (Act 732 of 2007), and its Legislative Instrument and the National Domestic Violence Policy, which would be sent to the next level for redrafting.
Hajia Abudu said the government was also working relentlessly on the Affirmative Action Bill to get it passed, adding the Bill was now in Parliament awaiting approval.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, expressed government’s commitment to fighting SGBV and urged all partners to take the advocacy against the SGBV beyond the period of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign
Dr Wilfred Ochan, UNFPA Representative, who represented the United Nations Resident Coordinator, expressed the need for all partners to rededicate their efforts towards protecting the vulnerable against SGBV.
Mr Mohammed Awal Alhassan, Executive Director of Norsaac, who spoke on behalf of NGOs, commended the government for allocating funds to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in the 2024 budget and urged the government to go beyond allocation of funds to actual release of the funds in the right amounts to help deal with the issue.
He called for measures to ensure free medical services for survivors of SGBV instead of the current situation where medical doctors charged them for their medical forms.
GNA