Spousal killing on the rise in Ghana – CHRI
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has described the alarming rate of spousal killing as the worst of Domestic Violence (DV) in Ghana.
“Taking different forms and occurring for many reasons, spousal killing is the worst form of DV, with women forming majority of victims,” CHRI said.
A statement signed by Paul Teiko Tagoe, Project Officer of CHRI, Africa Office in Accra, and copied to the Ghana News Agency said on Thursday.
According to CHRI a release by the Human Rights Advocacy Centre in 2012 identified that two spousal murders take place every month.
It said despite the enactment of the Domestic Violence Act 2007(Act 732), incidents of domestic violence were still “serious and pervasive in Ghana.”
CHRI said in spite of the widespread violence against women in the country, “there has not been any institutional intervention to address spousal murders and to protect women in volatile relationships.”
CHRI, therefore, called on government and civil society groups to marshal efforts to address the situation immediately.
Meanwhile, CHRI has further cited defilement, rape, assaults, and psychological trauma as some serious violence perpetrated by all shades of society against women.
The statement said with the year 2015 drawing nearer, Ghana was yet to overcome the challenges of maternal mortality.
It quoted CIA World Fact book report as saying “Ghana is the 41st country on the world maternal mortality rate index.”
The statement said this meant that in real terms 350 women die out of every 100,000 live births.
CHRI blamed the situation on lack of access to reproductive health care and services, and inadequate medical facilities for women in labour among other things.
CHRI, therefore, warned that “if this negative situation lingers, the nation is likely to miss out on Millennium Development Goal five of improving maternal health.”
This will consequently, endanger women’s health in their bid to give life, it said.
It has entreated government to show commitment and work assiduously towards the speedy realization of the Millennium Development Goals that borders on women issues.
CHRI has also called on stakeholders to conduct thorough research to critically examine and highlight issues affecting holistic development of women.
It has further suggested the need for constant dialogue among traditional leaders, human rights and gender activists, as well as state actors to identify how harmful customs and traditional practices could be dealt with.
Source: GNA