Former Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, has made a fervent call to confront gender-based violence as an epidemic gripping Ghana.
She believes that despite the existence of legislation such as the Domestic Violence Act, distressing statistics revealed a stark reality where women continue to endure physical and emotional abuse.
Delivering a keynote address at a program organized by the Ghana Registered Nurses Association on International Women’s Day Nana Oye Bampoe Addo highlighted the harrowing mental and psychological violence inflicted upon women, emphasizing the imperative for Ghana to take decisive action to safeguard the well-being and dignity of its female citizens.
“I end on this note; an urgent call to address GBV (Gender-based Violence) as an epidemic in Ghana today. The statistics have remained the same. We have the Domestic Violence Act, but women are being battered and beaten, and humiliated. Women are suffering mental and psychological trauma due to the violence they are experiencing.”
As the nation grapples with the enduring scourge of gender-based violence, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo made a passionate plea for comprehensive measures to protect women from harm and ensure their fundamental rights are upheld.
Making a clarion call, she said “Ghana has to rise to protect its women”
The former Minister has also emphasized the importance of investing in women to drive socio-economic development.
She highlighted that empowering women is not only morally right but also the most cost-effective strategy for uplifting communities in developing countries like Ghana.
She posited that by providing women with access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, nations can significantly improve their standard of living and foster sustainable progress. She believes that by providing such access, the country is strategically investing in the girl child, and to a large extent, the women in the country.
“Investment in girls’ education is key for any developing country. It leads to economic empowerment because it provides women with better employment opportunities and higher wages”
Furthermore, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo stressed the urgent need for decentralized specialist care for non-communicable diseases in Ghana. She emphasized that by making specialized healthcare services more readily available at various healthcare facilities across the country, the burden on centralized hospitals can be alleviated, ensuring timely and effective treatment for all citizens, regardless of their location or socio-economic status.
“Measures must be adopted by the healthcare sector to ensure progress in healthcare and access to better quality healthcare services”
“Specialist care for non-communicable diseases must be decentralized and made available at more healthcare facilities. Dialysis and other services, must be made more affordable and accessible. Every district must have a hospital with all these services”
By: Bright Yao Dzakah | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
