Domestic Violence in Ghana

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

By VICTORIA KARIM

May 31, 2011

Domestic violence is a difficult issue to tackle in Ghana because of the traditional cultural ideas that surround it.  In traditional Ghanaian society, spousal abuse is considered a private matter to be kept within the family alone.  Some see such abuse as “part of martial progression,” and some men even regard beating one’s own wife as a right that comes with marriage.  Of course, misogynistic views of “rights to your woman’s body” are not exclusive to married couples; they can be found in any type of relationship.  This view of hitting one’s wife also stems from the notion that the abuser is disciplining the woman to correct current behavior or to prevent future transgressions.  These ideas were further reinforced by the terms of § 42(g) of Ghana’s Criminal Code, 1960 (Act 29) (taken from the British colonial Criminal Code), which allowed the use of force with one’s spouse, on the basis that consent is given upon marriage.  This law was in place until 2007, when an extensive Domestic Violence Act was passed, prohibiting violence in domestic relationships.  Nevertheless, there is currently not enough enforcement or funding to carry out all provisions of the law, and many women do not know the rights newly afforded to them.

These conditions make it difficult for women to speak out against their abusers and to receive help.  As is the case with domestic abuse everywhere, victims often feel shame or humiliation when confronting the hardships with which they have been faced.  However, in Ghana, both the perceived normalcy of abuse and the indignity of addressing it outside the home are even more crippling.  On occasions when victims might turn to a family member or religious leader for guidance, the latter might advise them to be patient or even to curb their bad behavior.  Parents, in particular, can be hindrances to women seeking ways out of abusive relationships.  In Ghana, parents (who have high positions of power over their children at any age) often disapprove of their children divorcing, so they may insist that their children stay in marriages, despite serious abuse.  In one case of spousal abuse that occurred in Ghana about a year ago, a woman was publicly force-fed feces by her husband.  Several months later, he poured a pot of boiling soup over her head.  The woman was receiving counseling at an NGO, but refused to leave her husband or press charges because her parents disapproved of such action.

Before the passage of the Domestic Violence Act, the police often dismissed domestic abuse cases due to their “private” nature, and domestic abuse was not yet technically illegal.  Even today, police sometimes ask for a bribe from the victim when they are called in, and if they do not get money, they will drag out the case slowly.  Until recent years, the inability to get police to respond properly to domestic violence was the biggest impediment to women bringing their abusers to justice.

However, after a study published by the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre in 1999 revealed alarming rates of physical, psychological, and emotional abuse towards Ghanaian women, domestic violence was brought to the forefront for the first time as a major problem in Ghana.  According to the study, 33% of the women interviewed had experienced physical violence, 33% had experienced sexual violence, and 33% had been prevented from speaking to other men, among other findings.  In 2000, the Ghana Police Service established the Women’s and Juvenile’s Unit to solely deal with domestic abuse issues.  The unit was renamed Domestic Violence Victim’s Support Unit in 2002 for gender neutrality.  DOVVSU has since been an effective resource for Ghanaians undergoing abuse at home; the unit speeds up cases of domestic violence for processing, and they are quick to respond to calls.  Additionally, recent years have seen the emergence of a number of NGOs in Ghana dedicated to providing resources for abuse victims.  The Ark Foundation has a shelter for victimized women in Ghana’s Eastern Region, and it provides skill-training workshops for women to become financially independent.  Women’s Initiative for Self-Empowerment provides counseling services to victims, and conducts sensitivity training in police departments and hospitals.  These organizations are good outlets for abused women to reach out to, but unfortunately are underfunded because they rely mostly on private donations and cannot help nearly all the women who need their services.

Another problem Ghana faces in addressing domestic violence issues is improper media coverage.  Frustratingly, for many years the Ghanaian media refrained from covering domestic vioelnce  precisely because the practice was so widespread; partner abuse simply was not news. However, with the growing acceptance of domestic violence as a real issue in Ghana, the Ghanaian media has been reporting on more cases than ever before.  The media often reports individual incidents of abuse, and generally does so in a very negative light towards the perpetrators.  While coverage of domestic violence cases is beneficial in increasing popular recognition of a problem, many newspapers publish stories without proper journalistic care.  Newspapers frequently reveal identifying details and information about the persons and cases involved, so said persons are easily recognized by anyone who knows them.  These stories also include facts about the cases which the abused would not normally reveal, because they are too embarrassing or personal to broadcast to her entire community.  Therefore, the women whose stories are shared through the media often shy away from continuing the case in order to avoid further attention and gossip.  However, more consideration is beginning to be paid to poor journalism practices; this past December, there was a conference held for Ghanaian journalists on the “Ethics of Reporting Domestic Violence Issues.”

Ghanaian attitudes towards abuse of women have created very difficult circumstances for many women in their own homes.  However, if the progress and work accomplished over the last decade are any indication, domestic violence is quickly becoming a problem that Ghanaian society can address.  There is now proper recognition of the problem, legislation passed, and support systems in place for abused women.  Nevertheless, it will take additional time for these positive resources to become more wide-reaching and available to all the women in Ghana who need it.

Victoria Karim is a is a junior at Oberlin College.  She is a staff writer for Broad Recognition.