By Muniratu Akweley Issah/ Eugenia Otenwaa
Accra, Dec. 05, GNA – Dr Augustina Naami, a Lecturer at the Department of Social Work, University of Ghana, has called for inclusive policies to end Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against women and girls with disabilities.
She said such policies must be in terms of interventions, prevention, response and development, which would be crucial in addressing the needs and challenges of women and girls with disabilities, as their experiences were unique.
Dr Naami was speaking at a stakeholder engagement in Accra on improving systems for inclusive reporting on GBV, organised by VOWAC Ghana in partnership with German Cooperation Deutschezsammenarbeit (GIZ).
The engagement was also to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disability as well as16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.
World Health Organisation (WHO), there are about 1.3 billion persons with disabilities globally and 80 per cent of these individuals live in developing countries, with about five million of them living in Ghana.
Dr Naami expressed concern that women and girls with disability were twice likely to face multiple forms of violence, but in silence and such abuses and trauma increased daily.
She noted that one side intervention would not fit everybody, saying “Even within the group of women with disabilities, there was diversity but not everyone understands and that must be taken into consideration.
The Lecturer indicated that barriers such as social exclusion and isolation, communication challenges, transportation and mobility, lack of access to healthcare and justice system, lack of family support, would have to be removed, so that individuals with disabilities would be able to fit into society appropriately.
“Our healthcare professionals, legal professionals, our service providers, they all need to be trained about these specific gender-based violence that women with disabilities experience. Some of the challenges surrounding their ability or not to report their issues,” she said.
Ms Abena Serwaa Opare, the Head of Social Welfare Department and Community Development, Mfantseman Municipal Assembly, stressed that implementation of social inclusive policies and laws for persons with disability must be considered.
She said more advocacy to support women and girls with disability was necessary and added that such vulnerable persons must also be able to speak about their challenges as well as report issues when necessary.
Mr Joshua Addy, the Acting National Coordinator, National Council on Persons with Disability said the Council believed that the lives of persons with disability must be better, hence a partnership with stakeholders including Public and private sectors as well as development partners to make life very friendly for persons with disabilities.
“We are happy to say that we are in collaboration with UNHCR in a step-by-step direction. We encourage partners to promote inclusion and to do their best to help raise persons with disabilities. Let’s do all our best to promote the independence of persons with disabilities, especially women and girls with disabilities,” he said.
He said despite the discriminatory practices against persons with disability, women and girls in that same situation were more vulnerable, hence an inclusion for all to ensure total protection.
Madam Evelyn Appiah, the Principal State Attorney said awareness creation and shedding more light on specific forms of violence faced by these vulnerable groups including physical, psychological, emotional and economic abuse and highlighting the importance of their protection and empowerment was important.
Madam Appiah mentioned the need for an inclusive justice system and to make legal processes more accessible, friendly and supportive to survivors with disability.
She also stated the need to reaffirm commitment to stand against GBV in all forms and to break the barriers which prevented children and women with disabilities from taking leadership roles.
GNA