The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) says Ghana is not doing enough to reduce gender-based violence and must step up enforcement, investigations and access to justice ahead of its next United Nations human rights review.
Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mercy Larbi, said Ghana received several recommendations on gender-based violence during its 2023 Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which the country accepted and is expected to report on during the next review.
She said the country would have to demonstrate what it has done to address gender-based violence, including issues affecting women and children, but said current developments did not give her confidence that Ghana could claim significant progress.
“By looking at the way things are going, I don’t think we can go and say that we have been able to reduce gender-based violence in the country. We need to do more,” she said.
Ms Larbi said passing laws alone was not enough, stressing the need for effective enforcement and investigations so that survivors of gender-based violence could obtain justice.
She cited the Domestic Violence Act, the Criminal Code and the Affirmative Action Act as some of the legal measures Ghana has adopted, but said state institutions must ensure that these laws are implemented.
“The state has a responsibility. The state is the duty-bearer to protect the rights of the people in the country,” she said.
Ms Larbi was speaking in Accra at a CHRAJ coordinating meeting with human rights-focused civil society organisations, where participants were being supported to strengthen their work on gender-based violence, human rights monitoring and community engagement.
She said civil society organisations are particularly important because many operate in communities where CHRAJ does not have offices, allowing them to identify violations, educate residents and report cases to the Commission.
She also identified sexual harassment in workplaces, teenage pregnancy and technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including the sharing of people’s images online without consent, as areas requiring greater attention.
Ms Larbi said Ghana must strengthen public education, investigations and enforcement if it is to better protect women and children and demonstrate progress at its next international human rights review.
