UNFPA partners police to promote human rights

The UNFPA country representative, Mr Babatunde Ahonsi, recently paid a working visit to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, at his office in Accra.

The visit was for the new representative to formally introduce himself  to the IGP and members of the Police Administration and also to reiterate the UNFPA’s desire to sustain partnership with the police service in bringing relief to people who suffer various forms of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country.

Other police personnel present at the meeting were Rose Bio Atinga, Commissioner of Police and Director of Administration, Dr G. Asiamah, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Director of Health Services, and Chief Supt Jones Blantari, Co-ordinator, the Ghana Police Service AIDS Control Programme.

Police partnership with UNFPA

UNFPA works closely with two important units of the Ghana Police Service, which are the Ghana Police Service AIDS Control Programme and the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU).

The UN body’s partnership with the Ghana Police Service AIDS Control Programme started in 2009 and it involves building the capacity of police personnel to advocate rights-related issues, particularly rights abuses of key populations.

Following the successful implementation of the programme, the Ghana Police Service was further engaged in advocacy activities to reduce stigma and discrimination of key populations, particularly Female Sex Workers (FSW) by police personnel. 

The implementation of these activities facilitated the commissioning of a study by the UNFPA on rights abuses of FSW by law enforcement agencies with special emphasis on the police 

Based on the findings of the study, the UNFPA partnered with the service from 2011 to date to implement a rights-based policing programme aimed at reducing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and human rights abuses against FSW by police personnel and strengthening referrals of sexually abused survivors for Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) services as an HIV prevention and stigma reduction strategy.   

Key results also led to the revision of the curriculum of police training institutions to include models on GBV, Human Rights and Stigma and Discrimination to address challenges regarding key populations, and the institution of a mechanism to facilitate reportage on the abuse of the rights of FSW.

Support for DOVVSU

UNFPA support for DOVVSU also covers strengthening the capacity and skills of assigned officers to effectively manage cases of domestic violence and gender-based violence.

This process includes victim support, referrals for other support services such as medical, psycho-social, legal and shelter as well as investigations and prosecution, advocacy, outreach and public education and data collection. 

The UNFPA has further supported the rehabilitation of DOVVSU offices and desks across the country, to ensure quality and confidential service delivery in line with the DV Act, 2007. 

Ahonsi commends police

Mr Ahonsi commended the Ghana Police Service on their role in rights-based policing, which has led to a reduction of rights abuses of FSW and also for the role of the DOVVSU unit in bringing relief to people who suffer various forms of Gender-Based Violence in the country.

He alluded to the strong partnership between the Ghana Police Service and UNFPA and gave the assurance that the UN body would continue to support the strengthening of the capacity of the Ghana Police Service in rights-based policing especially in relation to FSW and addressing domestic violence issues. 

Mr Ahonsi expressed the need to address some of the persisting issues affecting the operations of DOVVSU, some of which are the regular transfers of trained officers to other units requiring the continuous need for training of new officers, and the low staffing in DOVVSU local offices.

Others are the weak presence Of DOVVSU in many districts and sub-districts, the absence of a national co-ordinator and slow investigations resulting in incomplete prosecution of cases especially in rural and remote parts of the country.