DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: 518 MEN REPORT THEIR WIVES TO DOVVSU FOR BEING ABUSED

518 men (husbands) in the Northern Region were reportedly beaten by their wives or subjected to various forms of abuses ending at the police station for redress. According to the latest statistics released by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service in Tamale, there is an increase in the number of men now coming out boldly to report their abusive wives to the unit in the Northern Region. In 2009, 71 cases were reported by the men, 47 in 2010, 44 in 2011, 77 in 2012, 147 in 2013 and 132 in 2014.

Even though the figure is still far below what the women also reported within the same period, the Northern Regional Coordinator of DOVVSU, ASP Emmanuel Holortu, said that the level of confidence exhibited by the men portrayed the understanding and acceptability of the Domestic Violent campaign in the region.

At a capacity building workshop for District and Divisional Police Commanders and DOVVSU desk officers on the effective implementation of the Domestic Violence Policy, Mr. Holortu bemoaned that women in the Northern Region continue to be at the receiving end of the worst forms of the abuses, which hinder their fundamental human rights and socio-economic advancement.

The Workshop was sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Statistics released at the workshop indicated that as high as 2,391 domestic violence cases were recorded in the Northern Region, between 2009 and 2014, by the DOVVSU.

Major cases of abuse reported to the DOVVSU included rape, defilement, indecent assault, threat of unlawful harm or death, causing unlawful harm or damage, assault, compulsion of marriage, non-maintenance of spouse and children among others.

Out of the figure, 1,937 women were victims of domestic violence, as against 518 men in the years under review. In 2014 alone, the Northern Region recorded 667 cases of domestic violence, representing 544 females and 132 males.

The Regional DOVVSU Coordinator noted that the high number of cases reported over the years suggested that most of the victims of domestic violence were now appreciating the fact that they had their rights, freedom and protection under the Constitution.

He indicated that as high as 84% of women in the Northern Region accept domestic violence as a social or cultural norm (Multi Indicator Cluster Survey 2011), and as a result, most of the cultural and traditional practices and norms were found to be at variance with the existing laws of the land.

Mr. Holortu noted that domestic violence occurs when a person connected to another in a relationship defined by law to be a domestic relationship, treats the other in an intentionally violent or controlling manner.

Source: The Chronicle