Amnesty International Ghana is urging government to institute sufficient measures to protect the rights of women and children.
The global human rights body said inhuman treatment meted out to women in several instances leading to their death, calls for stringent measures to protect their rights.
Campaign and Fundraising Manager of Amnesty International Ghana, Samuel Agbotsey, who made the call also indicated that the death of Madam Akua Denteh, the 90-year-old woman who was lynched last year at Kafaba and recent spousal abuses leading to the killing of some women in Ghana, points to the need for government to strengthen institutions mandated to uphold the rights of women.
He was speaking at the launch of an annual report on human rights of Amnesty International for 2020/2021, at Oyoko in the New Juaben North Municipality.
Acting Director of Amnesty International Ghana, Frank Doyi, who presented the summary of the report noted that existing inequalities have left marginalized communities, refugees, older people and women disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with gender-based violence worsening the situation, especially in Africa.
He said the report shows a marked increase in Gender-based and domestic violence with many women facing increased barriers to protection and support as a result of restrictions on freedom of movement due to the pandemic.
According to the report, 21 women and children were killed by intimate partners in South Africa. By mid-June more than 3,600 rape cases were recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria, while in Central African Republic, 60 cases of conflict-related sexual violence including; rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery were recorded between June and October last year.
The situation, he said raised a huge barrier to human rights and dignity of women everywhere adding that Ghana is not an exception.
The human rights report is an annual one documented by the Amnesty International to raise awareness on infractions of human rights across the world.
