Domestic violence and its visible trace

By Helena Selby
It is very unfortunate that majority of reported domestic violence cases are against women and children. One might attribute it to their level of fragility or may be their ability always being underrated and taken for granted. Though domestic violence has become an everyday campaign in the society its rate increases every now and then. To a layman the issue of domestic violence is always associated with cases like rape, defilement, maltreatment, child trafficking and assault but never put into consideration certain cultural practices such as trokosi, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and the archaic widowhood rite. Domestic violence such as rape and defilement happens always but always covered, in the Ghanaian society victims of such circumstances have the notion that she will be stigmatized and might not even get a partner to marry. The few reported ones always seem to be by chance. In as much as domestic violence such as rape, defilement, maltreatment and child trafficking are of concern to the society some aspects of our culture practices also need to be of concern to the society so as to eliminate all of them. People ought to be enlightened about the need to be vigilant about domestic violence issues in the society in order to help eradicate them to the society a democratic one.

Domestic violence and child trafficking
GlobalMarch.com refers to child trafficking as any act or transaction, whereby a child is transferred by any person or group of persons to another, for remuneration or any other consideration. This generally results in them being commercially exploited at all times. Every child below the age of 18 need to be taken care of by an adult, when the situation happens the voice versa, then child abuse or exploitation has taken place. When a child is below the age of 18 and is being compelled by adults to do work way beyond his or her ability, it is an offence since is a form of domestic violence. In Ghana trafficking of children most often happens to rural dwellers, especially to poor parents and guardians. Normally urban dwellers, on their visits to the rural areas, convince parents, guardians and children of a better life and education in the city. On the other hand, parents with a vision for their children, give them out to people who seem to have been successful in the cities, to bring them up.

Rape and defilement
The Oxford dictionary defines rape as forcing somebody to have sex with when they do not want to by threatening them or using violence. Defilement and rape goes hand in hand just that rape is associated with adults and defilement is associated with the children. Rape and defilement is a human right abuse and against the laws of the land. Apart from one practically losing her dignity through the act of abuse the person as well goes through serious trauma of the person in question. These acts can make a woman to develop a form of emotional, mental and psychological problem. According to sources, victims of such situations either find difficulties in their sex life, marriage life and social life. Some even go to the extent of losing any form of trust for anybody especially men.

Domestic violence and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) female genital mutilation is the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia, or procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs, for non-medical reasons.
Procedures can cause severe bleeding and urinary problems, and later potential childbirth complications and newborn deaths. It is mostly carried out on young girls, between infancy and the age of 15. According to those into this practice, it is meant to deter girls from committing fornication, since the removal of the external genitalia takes away any sort of desire or pleasure for sex. Indiscriminate sex is against the norms of the society however every human being has right to enjoy the pleasure derived from sex. It is there fore a form of domestic violence which is an abuse of human right to deter someone from enjoying sex all in the name of culture. After all this practice has no health benefit for women.

Domestic violence and Trokosi
It is a customary rite practiced in the Volta Region of Ghana, especially among the Ewe tribe. With this practice a virgin girl is taken to a shrine to pay for the wrongdoings of a family member, especially the parents. The girl is bestowed to the shine, so loses the chance of getting married to any man, since she is believed to be married to the fetish priest immediately the rite is performed. Modernity and democracy does not go hand in hand with this culture. Democracy even biblical words proclaim that everyone has to pay for his or her crime or offence and not someone else. It is therefore a crime associated with domestic violence to forcibly take someone to a shrine to pay for the sins of a family member simply because she is a virgin. Come to think of it, girls in such communities will not think twice losing their virginity before marriage since they will be freed from the trokosi culture.

It is very fortunate that, women who were victims of such culture have not lost hope yet as they are being helped by NGO’s. According to a report a by the public concern newspaper one hundred and one former trokosi and vulnerable women have graduated from the International Needs Network Vocational Training Centre (INVTC) at Adidome in North Tongu District in the Volta Region In Ghana. They undertook a three month course in soap, powder, baking, batik tie and dye making. It was sponsored by Australian and Aid Network (AUSAID) and organized by management of international needs Ghana (ING) both NGO’s campaigning against trokosi. They make available micro-credit for them and also provide them with start-up capital in the form of items needed to start a business.

Domestic violence and Widowhood Rites
Doesn’t one have the right to be at peace and in solitude after the sorrowful death of her husband? Why is it only with women and not men as well when their wives die? Widowhood rite which exists in some of our societies apart from exposing women to all sort of humiliation makes them as well to undergo social, economic and emotional trauma. It is a rite that many spouses, especially women, have to undergo after the death of their partner. Some of these women have to go through hair shaving, ritual bathing and confinement in a room for days and sometimes, years. Some societies go to the extent of compelling the woman to drink the water they used to bath the corpse of her husbands body. This they say is to verify if the woman is really the course of her husband’s death. Not long ago, three very old women in a royal house were confined in a room for about nine years, simply because their husband who was the king was dead. They had no choice than to spend nine years of their lives, cooped up in a room.

What are governments doing?
The government of Ghana, observing the plight of victims of various abuses, brought up the idea of a unit in the police force Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), in 1998. This unit works closely with the Department of Social Welfare, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and the Legal Aid. Apart from handling cases of domestic violence, juvenile offence and child delinquency, it also handles cases of child abuse. When the situation calls for medical attention, they refer victims for medical care and counseling. Apart from that they also have clinical psychologists and counselors, who provide counseling free of charge.
The main idea behind the free services of the DOVVSU is to make the service available to all, so as to enable anybody with a complaint to launch a case.
DOVVSU is interested in enforcing the law, and protecting the communities against criminals, and not making criminals out of victims.

Conclusion
Domestic violence is a global issue which the world is finding it extremely difficult to avoid. Non Governmental Organization (NGO) as well as governments are trying their best in its eradication, societies should as well try their possible best to stop the violation of the right of their fellow humans. People should also be vigilant of their lives to never fall victim to abusers of human right.