A former Attorney General, Betty Mould-Iddrisu has highlighted the many hurdles gender activists would have to jump over in order to successfully pass gender-sensitive laws in the country.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Friday on how long it took for the Domestic Violent Act to be enacted and implemented, the former Minister of Justice noted that the law which took nearly a decade came with some awful experiences.
This, according to her, proves that eradicating the patriarchy system entrenched in the Ghanaian culture will linger on for a while.
“When I was Attorney General, I laid some bills before Parliament. Up to date, if I am correctly informed, neither of these bills have been passed into law. So we in gender, we know the discrimination we suffer right from day one when you try to pass a gender proactive law.
“But we are still looking for the way forward for those specific legislations. It is because of its impact, forcefully on the rights or perceived traditional rights men have in a marital situation or even after their deaths there still has to be control,” she told host Kojo Yankson.
“Apparently, there is no room in Ghana for equality or gender equity whether during the marriage or after death.”
Discussions surrounding domestic violence revived after 3 women in less than 3 weeks allegedly died as a result of domestic violence.
On Saturday, March 6, 2021 one Lilian Dedjo passed on after her husband assaulted her during an argument they had on March 1.
According to reports, she went for treatment at the Madina Polyclinic but her condition deteriorated when she returned home and on March 6, fell into a coma and pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
In a similar incident, a Level 300 student of the Evangelical Presbyterian University College has died after she was allegedly assaulted by her boyfriend.
Also, 25-year-old Harriet Kafui Ahiati was murdered by her boyfriend, Jay Dordorye at Ho in the Volta Region.
Considering these and many unreported cases of this nature, Mrs Mould-Iddrissu questioned the implementation of the Domestic Violent Act.
Although she stressed that the law has no flaws, she called for more rigorous action in dealing with perpetrators of domestic violence.
“The system we have put in place under the Legislative Instrument is a fantastic system. We do not need to amend the laws, what we need is action under the law.
“And that includes asking questions like; where is DOVSSU situated? Is it a full directorate or it reports to the Inspector General of Police or the Criminal Investigation Department? That is why we ask for a possible upgrade for it to be a Directorship under the Police Service".
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