GFD applauds UNFPA Ghana for helping raise awareness against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) has lauded the United Nations Population Fund Ghana (UNFPA Ghana) for its support in raising awareness against Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the country.

Speaking at the National Forum On Gender-Based Violence Against Women And Girls With Disabilities on Friday, December 16, 2022, at the Alisa Hotel, the President of GFD, Mawunyo Yakor-Dagbah, stated that UNFPA Ghana has been very influential in backing the Federation in their quest to end sexual and gender-based Violence against women and girls with disabilities.

She also expressed optimism about working with the UNFPA and other partners in taking up such initiatives in the future.

“On behalf of GFD, I would like to applaud UNFPA for their immense support to join the federation raise awareness to support women and girls with disabilities to end gender-based violence. I will again like to acknowledge partners and individuals who have joined us today to continue this awareness-raising. It is my wish that such initiatives can be carried out in other sectors with the main objective of enhancing social inclusion and protecting the rights of women and girls with disabilities. The Federation’s door is always open and willing to take up such initiatives with you and other partners,” she said.

Also, speaking at the forum the Deputy Director of Public Education at the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mawuli Avutor , called on the government to equip the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) and other related institutions with necessary resources to aid persons with disabilities in their complaint-lodging processes.

“First of all, I must say that some of them are under-resourced, financially and also resource-wise; for that matter, they find it difficult to address these issues concerning persons with disabilities. Most importantly, they don’t understand the issues of persons with disabilities, and for that matter, when complaints of such nature are lodged with them, they are unable to understand it better and also approach it the way they should. In addition to that, most of the state institutions do not have the facilities that they should use. For instance, they don’t have sign language interpreters.

For example, if persons with hearing impairment are to lodge complaints, who interprets the information to the law enforcement officer to be able to understand what exactly the complaint is and what steps to take? For that matter, it gives them some challenges as to how they should approach issues of persons with disabilities. I urge the state to strengthen those institutions with facilities and other resources that will enable them to appreciate the understanding appreciate issues of persons with disabilities and address them appropriately,” he told UniversNews.