Gender Ministry employs digital systems to tackle gender-based violence

Caretaker Minister for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has indicated that government has introduced electronic systems to facilitate proper coordination of its Social Protection programmes as well as help in the effective management of violence and other forms of challenges faced by vulnerable people in the country

Speaking at a Meet the Press session organized by the Ministry of Information on Sunday, December 5, 2021, the Minister explained that in line with government’s digitalization agenda, the Ministry has taken to digital platforms as a one-stop point for citizens to report grievances about the implementation of major social protection flagship programmes and at the same time provide a support platform for the vulnerable in our societies.

Providing details of these digital platforms, Mrs. Dapaah said government has so far introduced numerous support platforms to address sexual and gender-based violence and help in the proper coordination of the Ministry’s activities.

Orange Support Centre

According to her, “the Orange Support Centre (OSC) is a technology platform that aims at providing information and support for survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence including child marriage in Ghana.”

She said the OSC comes in two folds; the call-in section (a toll-free line) and the mobile app referred to as the Boame App noting that the OSC, there is a team of volunteers in the health, legal and psychosocial sectors who render relevant services in their fields of work to victims or survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence through the app that allows for strict confidentiality and assures reporters’ safety while providing evidential reports.

Single Window Citizen Engagement Services

Mrs. Dapaah also said as part of the Ministry’s effort to strengthen systems and improve coordination among Social Protection programmes, the Ministry has operationalized a Single Window Citizen Engagement Services. The system provides a one stop point for citizens to report grievances for redress about the implementation of the major social protection flagship programmes like the School Feeding Programme, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and the Education Capitation Grant.

Ghana National Household Registry

The Ghana National Household Registry serves as a national data repository for the targeting and selection of the extreme poor in Ghana to benefit from social interventions programmes. She said so far, data has been collected in the five northern regions of the country that has helped government in the formulation of policies directed at the poor in these regions.