By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Adaklu Waya (V/R), June 19 GNA – Madam Esther Buakuma, Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge of Adaklu District Thursday called for empowerment of women and girls to be assertive to help curb domestic violence in the country.
She said also, increased advocacy and sensitization, effective community and effective male involvement would help curb the menace of domestic and sexual violence.
Mad Buakuma made the call during an engagement by the Adaklu District office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) with boys and men at the Animal market at Adaklu Waya.
It was to educate and empower them for adolescent health, gender equality, and prevent gender-based violence.
The engagement was funded by Global Affairs, Canada and implemented by NCCE and UNFPA.
Mad Buakuma said parents and other stakeholders should be educated on their responsibilities towards their children, especially the girl child and their rights.
She advised parents to always give their children listening ears and also be interested in what they do.
“Make your children your best friends so that they can confide in you,” she noted.
The Police Officer told the gathering to promptly report perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence to the law enforcement agencies and not to handle such cases at home.
She warned that the law would not spare those who were caught engaging in such wicked acts and that they could be jailed.
She stated that the assertion that “the man should be in control, and the woman should follow, speak when spoken to, clean, and care for the home” should be a thing of the past.
Mad Buakuma said it was sad that some people were still comfortable with such beliefs.
She mentioned some negative effects of domestic and sexual violence as stigmatization, breakdown of family systems, depression, fear and anxiety, unwanted pregnancies, and unsafe abortion.
Mrs Buakuma advised the men to shy away from constantly criticizing, mocking, humiliating, and embarrassing their partners.
She urged the men to allow their female partners to earn a living so as not to be totally dependent on them.
Mr Alfred Torff, a nurse called on parents not to feel reluctant to discuss sexual issues with their children as it would help them to know the dangers of pre-marital and unprotected sex and teenage pregnancy.
He urged men not to force their partners to have sex with them because it was unhygienic and could be painful to the woman.
Mr Torff called parents to constantly provide their adolescent girls with sanitary pads to help prevent the embarrassment some of the girls go through when they were in their menses for lack of sanitary pads.
Mr Francis Asamani, Adaklu District Director of NCCE said the Commission would continue engaging identifiable groups in the district to educate them on the dangers of domestic and sexual violence and adolescent reproductive health and empower them to be change agents in their communities.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah /Kenneth Odeng Adade