The Volta Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Child Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service has sensitized the Kpeve community in the South Dayi District on gender and domestic violence.

The programme formed part of the five-year Government and UNFPA Seventh Country Programme (CP7) aimed at promoting adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights towards ending preventable maternal deaths, and gender and sexual-based violence.

It is also designed to address unmet needs for family planning and to end child marriages in the six implementing districts in the Volta and Oti Regions.

The districts are Krachi East, North Dayi, Central Tongu, Afadzato South, South Dayi and Akatsi North.

DOVVSU is one of the implementing agencies of the programme to attain expected outcomes in the districts.

At a durbar attended by chiefs, opinion leaders and heads of the Local Assembly, residents of the Kpeve community were educated on sexual abuse and the need for them to report such occurrences to the police, family or traditional authority.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mrs Faustina Awumey, Regional Coordinator of the DOVVSU, said young children were the most vulnerable to sexual and other abuses and required vigilance.

The community was asked to guard against physical abuse, domestic violence, and child labour, among others, and to report such cases to the DOVVSU for the necessary actions.

The community chiefs asked for authority to settle some domestic violence and sexual abuse cases in their localities.

The Regional Coordinator, however, said the cases must first be handed over to the Unit, which would refer those deemed fit to the traditional authorities.