CR Records 3,358 Domestic Cases

The Central Regional Branch of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service recorded 3,358 domestic violence cases in the year 2014.

Out of the number, 267 were rape cases, defilement and incest related, with non-maintenance accounting for 912.

In all, the entire nation recorded over 75,000 cases of teenage pregnancy in 2014.

The Regional Director of Department of Gender, Thywill Eyrakpe, made this known at the opening ceremony of a two-day policy dialogue for traditional leaders and other stakeholders in Cape Coast on Tuesday.

She stated that most of the early marriages and teenage pregnancies occur among girls of school going age in many communities.

Ms. Eyrakpe called for a collective and comprehensive approach in tackling the problem.

She said the Department of Gender and the Regional Coordinating Council, with the support from the United Nation Population Fund under its CP6, are spearheading a plan to protect and promote the legal and reproductive rights of women and girls in the region.

The regional director hinted that as part of its Annual Work Plan (AWP), the department had embarked on a series of community forums and school sensitization programmes in the first and second quarters to collate information on the subject.

Mrs. Eyrakpe said society must empower women with the intellectual ability to offer support to people who take care of children.

'Within the past year, MoGCSP has worked assiduously to get three important policies approved by Cabinet namely the affirmative Action Policy, the National Gender Policy and the family and Child Welfare Policy so take full advantage of the provisions in these policies,' she said.

She underscored the need for Ghanaians to pay attention to the education of women and girls in order to equip them with the necessary skills to take advantage of the numerous opportunities.

From Sarah Afful, Cape Coast
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