GHANA CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN

We often hear horrific stories of children being beaten to death, tortured, sexually abused and more. The statistics are frightening, but unfortunately they only represent the tip of the iceberg, with most cases of abuse going unreported.
For instance, the Brong-Ahafo Office of DOVVSU between January and September this year recorded 665 cases of child non-maintenance as compared to 499 cases for the same period the previous year. The Unit also recorded four cases of rape and 21 cases of defilement from January to September this year, a reduction when compared to eight cases of rape and 20 cases of defilement in the same period last year.
Most child abuse and neglect cases never come to the attention of government authorities, particularly in the case of sexually abused, emotionally abused and neglected children, who often don’t exhibit any physical symptoms. Whilst some children are playing and beginning to discover the world around them with enthusiasm, others are experiencing an inner struggle, trying to survive in a world which doesn’t feel safe and which doesn’t provide them with the love and support they need.
Abuse be it physical, psychological, emotional or sexual – is an especially pernicious problem in Africa. Girls are particularly vulnerable partly due to the influence of traditional values and tolerance for domestic violence. Girls in many parts of Africa are victims of early marriage and female genital mutilation.
Even though the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is the world’s most ratified human rights treaty, reinforced by the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, among other Protocols and Declarations, the problem of child abuse still exist. It is against this background that the Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF) formerly known as African Media Aid (AFRIMA) has initiated the Ghana Child Abuse Prevention Programme (G-CAPP