Ghana’s Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection says it is reviewing all child related laws to stem the rising cases of child abuse in the country.
Sector Minister, Madam Otiko Afisah Djaba called Ghanaians to action on stemming the canker on Tuesday when she joined second lady, Mrs Samira Bawumia to launch a campaign dubbed Ghanaians Against Child Abuse (GACA).
“What we seek to achieve ultimately with the movement is to mobilize communities, families and individuals across our country to stand against all forms of child abuse,” the Minister said. The campaign, she indicated seeks to drive and shift the attention of Ghanaians to the best child raising practices.
“I believe that this is the best time to begin this campaign to ensure that children in Ghana receive the best of care, support and love, she stated.
The Minister pointed out that from the adult point of view, the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service and the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) may provide safe and trusted ways of reporting but from the child’s point of view, these institutions seem intimidating and not child friendly.
Children are often afraid to report abuse because of the shame they feel about it or the possible consequences for themselves and others. “These issues make violence against children a hidden problem in Ghana,” Madam Djaba noted.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Alima Mahama instructed all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to commit resources to ensure regular engagements with families and communities.
Second Lady, Ms Bawumia noted that as a mother, ensuring the protection and well-being of children was extremely important to her.
“I pledge to be a GACA and I personally pledge to support the call on all Ghanaians to take action against all forms of child abuse,’’ she stated.
Ghana has reformed its legislative framework extensively since 1992 to cover areas that relate to child abuse. The passage of the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 650), The Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) (Revised Edition) and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2003 (Act 653) are examples of the Government of Ghana’s commitment to improve the legislative environment to reduce violence against children and other young people. However, in spite of the legislative initiatives made to suppress child abuse, a lot of children still face varying degrees of abuse in Ghana. This is because change in legislation does not necessarily guarantee social and behavioural changes, especially in an instance where the changes are not backed by public and professional education.
Much more work needs to be done to change people’s attitudes, perceptions and actions regarding the appropriate or suitable kinds of corrective measures to apply in situations where children need to be corrected
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