Summary of the Domestic Violence in Ghana Report.
Background
Domestic violence – defined as abuse by one person against another in an intimate relationship including marriage, cohabitation, dating or relations within the family – is one of the most common forms of gender-based violence in the world. Addressing gender inequalities has been given a prominent focus in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and with the development of the SDGs there has been a pledge to “eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres”.
Supported by several years of advocacy efforts by key civil society organisations and women’s rights organisations, the Government of Ghana enacted the Domestic Violence Act (Act 732) on 21st February, 2007. This legislation takes a progressive approach to addressing domestic violence. Notably, the Act acknowledges that perpetrators and survivors of domestic violence do not have to be married or related by blood ties. Its definition of domestic violence includes various forms of economic abuse, in addition to more conventional definitions of sexual and physical violence. The Act provides a working definition of domestic violence, and outlines a comprehensive legal framework for the prevention of and protection against domestic violence.
The Domestic Violence Act 732 was followed by the formulation of the National Policy and Plan of Action (NPPOA) developed by the former Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs in 2008. The NPPOA lays out specific roles of key stakeholders to effectively implement the Domestic Violence Act, under the direction of the Domestic Violence Secretariat (Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection). This study forms part of this strategy.
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