Domestic Violence Secretariat and Domestic Violence/Victim Support Unit

Brief Description

The Domestic Violence Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) was established by Domestic Violence Act, 2007 Act 732. The Secretariat is managed by a thirteen (13) member Management Board established by the Domestic Violence Act. The overall goal of the Domestic Violence Secretariat (DVS) is to facilitate the elimination of domestic violence from the Ghanaian Society, create family cohesion and provide for a peaceful environment for national development.

The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service formerly known as Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) was established in October 1998 as Specialized Unit within the Ghana Police Service formed in response to the increasing number of reported cases of abuse and violence against women and children. The Unit rolls out its mandate to prevent, investigate and prosecute all cases involving domestic violence, gender-based violence and child abuse. The DOVVSU has been supported to develop an SGBV data management system (DODMAS) to churn out credible and reliable data/statistics to inform and facilitate SGBV programming, response and prevention and evidence-based advocacy. Between 2015 and 2018, a total of 51,620 cases were reported to DOVVSU nationwide with physical abuse being the most reported form of violence. Additionally, female victims/survivors ranged between 85-80% within the reported period.