National Police cooperates with Ghana to train Ghanaian police on gender-based violence cases

"Accompanying Ghanaian police officers in the most tense area of Ghana and being able to share our experience and expertise in combating and dealing with cases of gender-based violence and addressing the role of women in extreme terrorism is crucial to motivate and sensitise officers. We have to take into account that it is a very complicated area and these sessions highlight and reinforce the work of the Ghanaian Police Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU)," said Daniel Roelas, National Police Officer and leader of the project.

These trainings have been carried out within the framework of the NORPREVSEC programme and have enabled the training of more than 100 Ghana[Link] Police Service personnel assigned to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVVSU) stationed in the five northern regions of Ghana.

The training was given by two members of the Family and Women's Affairs Unit (UFAM) and one member of the General Commissariat of Information (CGI).

The project, led by FIIAPP together with the Spanish National Police and funded by the European Union, operates in northern Ghana with the aim of preventing violence and radicalisation in a region under terrorist threat and the consequences of transnational crime.

Gender approach in the fight against terrorism

This activity is part of Ghana's National Security Strategy, which establishes the expansion of the gender perspective as a priority. In this way, through the trainings, the normative framework, the specific legislation on the subject and the concept of physical, psychological and economic violence against women have been reviewed. In addition, gender mainstreaming is a prerequisite for preventing violent extremism and countering terrorism.

"The situation is especially complicated on the border with Burkina Faso, a country that holds the sad record for the highest number of deaths and terrorist attacks worldwide, so it is very important to support this security strategy and to integrate the gender approach, which, on the one hand, will reinforce the protection of women and, on the other hand, will also be very important to prevent their involvement in terrorism," explains Inspector Roelas.

[Link]As a result, thousands of people are fleeing to Ghana, mostly women and children who survive in refugee camps such as the one in the Ghanaian city of Bolgatanga, which the Spanish agents have also attended.

"We have had the opportunity to visit the IDP camp, the borders, and the premises of the various security agencies, and we have been able to train the personnel working in these areas. These exchanges with the Ghanaian police are very important because the number of attacks and displaced persons is increasing exponentially, putting a strain on coexistence"

This situation is compounded by infighting between ethnic communities over control of resources, resulting in the closure of schools and shops and increased violence. In this context, the Ghanaian government has established curfews and deployed armed forces to stabilise the region.

In its support to the Ghanaian Police, the European NORPREVSEC project is working on the ground with the Ghanaian government to support the stabilisation of the area and training security agencies to provide adequate responses to such a critical situation, mobilising international specialists from the National Police through the FIIAPP to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Justice of Ghana.