Ghana NGO’s Coalition on Children’s Rights, in partnership with ‘O Africa’, has called for collaboration to fight violence against children.
At a forum in Accra, stakeholders took turns to report on issues confronting children, key amongst them, being the sale of medical forms from the police to victims of domestic violence.
In a response to the allegation, the Divisional Commander at the Kaneshie MTTD, Supt. Elvis Sadongo, stressed, that the forms are not for sale and that any police officer caught in the act, will be dealt with according to the law.
The forum brought together NGOS’s in Ghana to discuss the way forward in protecting Children’s rights.
The protection of child’s right, has been in the books for some time now, that is why O Africa and the Ghana NGO’s Coalition, deemed it necessary to bring forth the challenges facing children and the NGO’s.
During an interactive session, domestic violence and the delay of justice, as well as loitering of children on the streets featured prominently.
Another concern was the sale of medical reports by some policemen to victims of domestic abuse. Responding to the issues, the Divisional Commander at the Kaneshie MTTD, Supt. Elvis Sadongo, said the police is now piloting an initiative to curb the loitering of children on the streets at ungodly hours.
He emphasised that the police’s medical forms are not for sale.
The spokesperson for O Africa, Kingsley Obeng Kyere, said it is time the authorities are held accountable. This, he said will push them to do what is expected of them.
The UN Convention Right of Children is thirty years and this year’s theme for the forum is “Thee neglect of children; whose responsibility?”
Ghana has developed an Inter-sectoral Standard Operating System and referral forms in case-management in preparation of a Child Protection Information Management System(CPMI.)
This is to track cases of child abuse and neglect referred to various agencies for redress from the district level through to the regional and National Levels.
Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Morrison made this known at 2019 Ghana Non-Governmental Forum, in Accra.
She said government’s effort to ensure the protection of the Ghanaian child is marred by challenges such as low appreciation of child rights in communities, and low reportage of child abuse cases on the part of victims among others.
The Ministry is on course in providing a safer environment for the development of children.
She therefore, commended efforts of all stakeholders in child rights promotion and protection.
She therefore, commended efforts of all stakeholders in child rights promotion and protection.
The Minister acknowledged government’s support and that of NGOs.
