The United States (U.S) has donated sexual assault examination kits and DNA reagents, chemicals, and supplies to the Ghana Police Service’s Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU).
These essential items will help the Ghana Police Service prosecute perpetrators and also support survivors of gender-based violence in the country.
U.S. Ambassador, Virginia Palmer, made the donation during a visit to DOVVSU “One-Stop Center” today, Wednesday, December 7, 2022 as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
“Sexual violence against any community – including marginalized communities – is unacceptable. We are proud to partner with DOVVSU and the Ghana Police Service to ensure sexual violence is fully and appropriately prosecuted. These supplies will help hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes. DOVVSU is and must be a resource for all.”
Ambassador Virginia E. Palmer
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Faustina A. K. Andoh-Kofie, Director-General (DG) of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Owusuwaa Kyeremeh and the Director of DOVVSU accompanied the Ambassador on her tour of the facility.
The donated supplies will allow DOVVSU to provide sexual assault examination kits directly to survivors of abuse and outfit the GPS forensics lab with supplies to support its crime scene and forensic processing for a year.
The Center, located behind GPS Headquarters, was established to respond to domestic violence cases and to help ensure survivors of domestic violence can feel safe and secure to report the crimes committed against them and find services to start their healing.
The Ambassador’s tour of the DOVVSU One-Stop Center is part of the Embassy’s support of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, a global rallying cry that aims to raise awareness about the consequences of GBV and to urge the government, community, corporate, and philanthropic sectors to take action.
The 16-Day initiative runs from November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women through December 10, International Human Rights Day.
A statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Ghana noted that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a pandemic that affects 1 in 3 women in their lifetime.
Violence against women and girls
Civil society and governments around the world have long acknowledged that violence against women and girls is a major public policy and human rights concern. The persistence of domestic violence threatens the achievement of gender equality, and the empowerment of women as defined in the Millennium Development Goals.
In addition, domestic violence is associated with poor physical and mental health, higher risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, restricted livelihood options and choices, lower human capital and lower productivity
In 2007, the Ghanaian Parliament passed the long-awaited Domestic Violence Bill. The passing of the bill was an important step, but additional steps are needed to ensure both awareness and compliance as cases continue to rise.
According to the statistics available at the Accra Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), as of August 2020, 31.9% of Ghanaian women have faced at least one form of domestic violence – physical, economic, psychological, social or sexual.
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