Ghanaian Women’s Knowledge and Perceptions of Services Available to Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

This article presents qualitative findings on women’s knowledge and perceptions of services available to victims of domestic violence in Ghana. In addition, the challenges to access of service and service delivery are explored. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 female residents of Sowutuom, a periurban community in Accra, Ghana. An additional three semistructured interviews were also conducted with local service providers in Accra. Results showed that awareness among respondents of available services was low. The majority of women had heard of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service, though they had limited knowledge of the kind of support provided by this service provider. In addition, most women expressed doubt in the ability of these services to adequately handle cases of intimate partner violence. This study demonstrates that more educational campaigns need to be carried out to raise awareness among Ghanaians on domestic violence and the formal interventions available in the country.