The Domestic Violence Secretariat (DVS) of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has organised a two-day capacity-building programme on Case Management, Referrals and Survivor-Centred Approaches from Tuesday, 13th to Wednesday, 14th October 2026 in Accra.
The training aimed to enhance participants’ knowledge and capacity in the effective and coordinated management of cases to improve support for survivors of domestic violence. It also sought to equip participants with the skills to identify survivors’ needs, assess risks, and connect them to appropriate services, including medical care, psychosocial support, legal assistance and safe shelter, where necessary.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, stressed that a survivor-centred approach requires service providers to listen to survivors without judgement, respect their choices, protect their privacy and avoid actions that could expose them to further harm or trauma. She underscored the need to handle every case with sensitivity, professionalism, and respect for the individual circumstances of survivors.
The Minister urged participants to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to their respective areas of work and contribute to building a more responsive, accessible and survivor-friendly system for preventing and addressing domestic violence in Ghana.
In a brief statement, the Head of the Domestic Violence Secretariat, Madam Melonin Asibi, thanked the participants, particularly the Ark Foundation, for their continuous support to the Ministry and vulnerable persons in the country. She noted that domestic violence is a multifaceted issue that requires collective effort and a well-coordinated response from all relevant stakeholders. Emphasizing the importance of appropriate referrals, she stated, “Given the right referrals to the appropriate agencies. If the right referrals are not done, then there is a problem.”
Madam Asibi urged participants to pay close attention to the training, share experiences from their respective fields of work, and disseminate the knowledge acquired to their colleagues upon returning to their various duty stations. She explained that this would help improve the delivery of services to individuals who need support across the country.
The Executive Director of the Ark Foundation, Madam Angela D. Aboagye commended the Domestic Violence Secretariat and the Ministry for organising the training. She reaffirmed the Ark Foundation’s commitment to promoting the rights, safety, and dignity of survivors and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to prevent and respond to domestic violence in Ghana.
Participants were taken through key concepts of case management, including the identification and assessment of survivors’ needs, safety planning, documentation, referrals, follow-up, and coordination among service providers. Emphasis was also placed on the importance of confidentiality, informed consent, respect for survivors’ decisions, and the protection of their dignity throughout the support process.
The two-day capacity-building programme forms part of the Domestic Violence Secretariat’s ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional capacity and improve the quality of services provided to survivors of domestic violence in Ghana.
