The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Ghana) has issued a strong appeal to policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to advocate for the strengthening and effective resourcing of the Domestic Violence Fund (DV Fund).
The organization emphasizes that a well-funded support system is critical to delivering justice for women and vulnerable groups suffering abuse.
According to FIDA, many victims—predominantly women and children, but also men—continue to suffer in silence because financial and logistical barriers prevent them from accessing justice.
Despite the existence of the Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (Act 732), which provides a legal framework for criminalizing physical, sexual, psychological, economic abuse, and intimidation, enforcement remains a challenge.
Domestic abuse often involves manipulation and long-term trauma, making it difficult for victims to leave unsafe environments.
Without external support, many are forced to return to the very settings where they suffered harm.
To address these challenges, FIDA-Ghana organized a sensitization workshop in Accra last Wednesday to ensure robust roll out of the DV Fund.
The event brought together policymakers, civil society organizations, and the media to strategize on how to empower the DV Fund to cover more victims and solicit support from corporate Ghana.
Speaking at the event, FIDA-Ghana’s Executive Director, Madam Susan Aryeetey, revealed that a significant number of abuse cases go unreported because victims feel the justice system is inaccessible to them.
Madam Aryeetey explained that the DV Fund is often irregular, insufficient, or in some instances, not released at all. Consequently, victims who cannot afford the costs of medical reports, police processes, and legal fees are forced to abandon their pursuit of justice.
“There are many women and vulnerable people in our communities who are suffering in silence because they cannot pay for the process of seeking justice. This phenomenon has emboldened some perpetrators to continue to do more harm to the vulnerable in society,” she stated.
“Our goal today is to find ways of ensuring that the DV fund is well-resourced and released timely. We are also looking for alternative ways to involve individuals and corporate institutions to provide first-hand support for victims,” she added.
Following the roundtable discussions, participants reached a consensus on several key actions. They agreed to intensify engagement with corporate institutions to secure financial support and strike deals that would benefit victims.
Additionally, they pledged to leverage media platforms to amplify the conversation on abuse and educate communities against settling domestic violence cases privately.
A major outcome of the meeting was the identification of shelter as a top priority. Participants noted that the government currently does not operate shelters for victims of domestic violence, forcing reliance on private facilities.
They called for urgent action to address this gap to ensure victims have a safe place to stay when they escape abusive environments.