The Director of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Owusua Kyeremeh, has warned against overlooking gender-based violence.
She said gender-based violence does not only harm individuals, but also disrupts families, weakens communities, and undermines the overall progress of the country.
“We cannot as a country develop if we do not address issues of gender-based violence,” she said.
Ms Kyeremeh made the remarks last Friday in Accra during a candlelight solidarity walk held as part of DOVVSU’s “Break the Silence: 30 Days of Activism.”
The campaign was under the theme: ‘From Silence to Strength: Speak up, Stand up, Support’.
It was organised to express solidarity with survivors of gender-based violence and started from Accra Girls Senior High School and ended at the DOVVSU One-Stop Centre.
The participants walked through the dark while holding candles, a symbolic gesture meant to represent the silence and isolation many survivors experience.
Ms Kyeremeh explained that the walk in darkness was deliberate and symbolised the loneliness often endured by survivors of gender-based violence.
“Survivors are often left alone in the dark, so this walk is to show them that wherever they are, even in their darkest moments, we are with them. The candle symbolises hope, and our presence says to survivors: you are not alone,” she indicated.
Ms Kyeremeh mentioned that DOVVSU had launched The Dorsal Podcast to support the campaign by providing educational content accessible to the public nationwide. She added that monthly sensitisation activities would continue beyond the 30-day campaign, with July designated as the period for an annual intensive outreach.
Moreover, she urged victims and concerned individuals to call the toll-free DOVVSU helpline at 0800 000 900 or reach out via WhatsApp on 0551 000 900 for help or to report abuse.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
