Stakeholders within the gender sector have been urged to move beyond awareness creation and take concrete actions to address domestic violence in communities across the country.
The call was made at a stakeholder dialogue on domestic violence response and collaboration held in Accra yesterday.
The dialogue, organised by Trailblasers Ghana in partnership with Nuru Communications Group, was held under the theme: ‘From Awareness to Action: Building a Safe Community.’
Delivering the keynote address, the wife of the Chief of Staff, Mrs Victoria Debrah, described domestic violence as one of the most pervasive yet often hidden challenges confronting society.
She indicated that the phenomenon cut across age, class, religion, and social status, with many victims suffering in silence due to fear, stigma, and lack of support.
Mrs Debrah stressed that beyond the statistics were real women, men, and children, whose voices were often silenced, adding that silence must be broken, systems must respond, and communities must act.
She emphasised that communities played a critical role in addressing domestic violence, noting that they were not just witnesses but key actors in ending the menace.
Mrs Debrah explained that when communities were informed, they became protective; when engaged, they became responsive; and when empowered, they became transformative.
She further noted that no single institution could tackle domestic violence alone, and called for stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies, health professionals, social services, faith-based organisations, and policymakers.
Mrs Debrah underscored the need to provide victims with safe spaces, counselling, legal protection, and economic empowerment.
She added that victims must be reassured that they were not alone, not to blame, and capable of rebuilding their lives.
Mrs Debrah then urged stakeholders to reflect on their roles in preventing domestic violence, strengthening institutional responses, and building partnerships in order to ensure that no victim was left without support.
In a welcome address, the Executive Director of Trailblasers Ghana, Ms Lynn Osei-Bonsu, stated that although awareness had increased over the years, it had not translated into sufficient action.
She underlined that awareness without action continued to leave many voices unheard and lives affected, stressing that the dialogue was aimed at moving beyond conversation towards coordination and impact.
Ms Osei-Bonsu called on stakeholders to identify gaps in the current response system and work collaboratively to address them.
She elaborated that the dialogue brought together representatives from government, diplomatic missions, civil society organisations, educators, and the youth, all of whom had critical roles to play in tackling domestic violence.
Ms Osei-Bonsu urged participants to engage constructively, share ideas, and commit to practical measures that would lead to safer communities.
The dialogue forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen coordination among stakeholders and promote community-based response to domestic violence.
Participants expressed optimism that the engagement would lead to stronger partnerships and more effective interventions to protect vulnerable persons and promote justice.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
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