Women Trained As Paralegals To Curb Sexual, Domestic Violence
As part of efforts to combat Sexual and Gender Based-Violence (SGBV), the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has organised a two-day training for selected women leaders in the Tamale metropolis to serve as paralegals.
The paralegals, who were made up of leaders of the Aboabo market and surrounding communities, are expected among many duties to educate traders and other people on domestic and sexual violence and the sanctions that come with it.
They are also to help victims to consult the right channels with their problems to get the requisite legal, psychological and social support.
The paralegals were taken through topics such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, child labour, verbal abuse, rights of males and females and right to property.
Increasing Cases
Unveiling the paralegals in Tamale, the Executive Secretary of the Domestic Violence Secretariat at the MoGCSP, Malonin Asibi, said the intervention had become necessary as a result of the increasing cases of SGBV in the area.
“The Ministry felt the need to train and launch the paralegals for the Aboabo community and the central markets so victims of SGBV could have the opportunity to access their services and report such cases for appropriate actions,” she noted.
She indicated that they were expected to address minor cases of SGBV and refer those beyond them to the appropriate quarters for redress.
Ms Asibi, therefore, urged the public to cooperate with the paralegals to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.
For his part, the Northern Regional Director of the Department of Gender, Alhassan Bushira, appealed to the public to report issues of gender-based violence to the department for necessary actions.
The Northern Regional Director of the Department of Children, Iddrisu Sanday, for his part, called on parents to live responsible lives worthy of emulation by children.
He also appealed to parents to stop violating the rights of children such as physical abuse and denial of education.
Source: Graphic
