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ADVANCE EDITED VERSION

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GENERAL

A/HRC/7/6/Add.3
21 February 2008

Original:  ENGLISH


HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Seventh session
Agenda item 3

PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT

Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women,
Its Causes and Consequences, Yakin Ertürk

Addendum

Mission to Ghana* ** 

Summary

            This report contains my findings as Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, following my official mission to Ghana from 7 to 14 July 2007. It addresses specific forms of violence encountered by women and girls within the context of the dual normative system in the country and women’s subordinate status in the society at large.

            The formal State institutions coexist with a customary system of traditional authorities. While traditional authorities are also fully bound by Ghana’s international commitments to gender equality to the extent that they exercise public power, they tend to favour respect for local custom over gender equality. Customary law, which is constitutionally recognized as a source of law, discriminates against women, especially in relation to questions of inheritance and property.

            Violence against women remains widespread and some groups of women are particularly vulnerable. The girl child may be sexually abused in the family, subjected to early or child marriage or exploited as a kayaye (porter) or domestic worker. Female genital mutilation and the ritual servitude of trokosi also remain prevalent in some parts of the country, even though these practices have been criminalized and are on the decrease. Women accused of witchcraft are often violently driven from their communities and forced to take refuge in “witch camps”. Many widows are subjected to violent evictions from their homes and loss of inheritance, leaving them destitute.

            The police, courts, social services and the health sector are not sufficiently equipped and trained to effectively protect women facing violence. The Domestic Violence Victims Support Unit, which is tasked to investigate crimes involving domestic violence against women, is under‑resourced and often inadequately trained.

            The Domestic Violence Act, which was adopted in 2007, marks an important step forward, but needs to be swiftly followed by the adoption of a gender-sensitive domestic violence action plan and an earmarked budget to implement the Act.

            High and extreme levels of poverty and the external debt burden limit the Government’s ability to allocate sufficient resources for universal basic education, gender parity in education and the socio-economic development of marginalized regions and districts. The international community has an obligation to support the Government through targeted aid, debt relief and fairer terms of trade.

            Based on my findings, I call on the Government to enact legislation to strengthen women’s protection and equality; support women’s social, political and economic empowerment; ensure that traditional authorities comply with national and international commitments to women’s rights; and sufficiently fund and implement the Domestic Violence Act and corresponding action plan.





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FULL REPORT IS ATTACHED.

 

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