FIDA-Ghana Partners OSIWA To Sensitize State Actors On Access To Women’s Justice

Irene Aborchie-Nyahe, a Human Rights Lawyer with International Federation of Women lawyers, (FIDA) and Legal Assistance Network, Ghana, has called on officers of Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVSU) of the Ghana Police Service to equip themselves with the adequate knowledge on the rights of women and the vulnerable in the society so as to be able to assist those that come to them to access justice in any form of violence or abuse the may have encountered.

"They should also be abreast with the cases that are brought before them seeking for help" she stressed, adding "most of these cases are law based situations so even though they are not lawyers, they should read on domestic violence laws as far as they can".

Irene Aborchie-Nyahe made the call at 1-day sensitization workshop dubbed ‘learning and sharing forum with state actors’ organized by FIDA-Ghana in partnership with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in Accra on Tuesday.

The sensitization forum was aimed at educating state actors on the roles they have to play in assisting women access justice which has become a major problem in Ghana.

It equally seeks to bring to light the challenges that confront women on daily basis in their quest to access justice whenever faced with abuse issues as well educate them on how the intestate succession law works.

The human rights lawyer has also appealed to state actors to read extensively on marriage, divorce, custody and other laws that affect the survival of family. “They should read regularly to be well-equipped with knowledge to face the problem that comes to them”. She stressed.

According to her, access to justice by women in Ghana hasn’t be successful at all due to poverty on side of women coupled with the expensive nature of accessing justice makes it difficult for women to deal with.

But in an interview with this reporter, Irene Aborchie-Nyahe disclosed her outfit is working so hard around the clock to improve upon the situation.

She charged participants to use their various office(s) to educate, promote and allay fears of women whose rights are violated in their quest to seek justice with ease.

The participants were taken through a 4-hour intensive presentation on Human Rights and gender, Intestate Succession Law and the challenges women in access to Justice.

In attendance were over twenty (20) officials from the Ghana Judicial Service, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ghana Police Service, DOVSU, National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), Department of Social Welfare amongst others.

The forum was organized by International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Ghana) in partnership with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa on a project title: “Access to justice to empower women as well as to promote and protect their human rights through the provision of legal aid and legal education".

Meanwhile Lawyer Aborchie-Nyahe has also called on government to help equip legal aids with adequate resources as well as educate women on how to access justice whenever they are faced with issues of abuse.