By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Denu-Tokor
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has organised a one-day capacity-building durbar at Denu in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region to educate community stakeholders on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) and Sex Trafficking. The programme, organised by the Gender Mainstreaming Section of the GIS Headquarters in collaboration with the Aflao Sector Command, was sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
It brought together community leaders and focal persons, members of the clergy, Assembly Members, representatives of transport unions, members of the National Cross-Border Women Traders’ Association (NCBWTA) and members of the Border Security Committee (BORSEC) among other stakeholders. Also present were PSEAH and Gender Focal Persons from sister GIS checkpoints including Ho, Sogakope, Aflao, Asikuma, Akanu, Leklebi, Hohoe and Batume amongst others.
The durbar formed part of efforts by the GIS to strengthen community awareness, prevention and reporting mechanisms for GBV, sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment as well as human trafficking, particularly in border communities.
Welcoming participants on behalf of the Controller-General of Immigration, the Aflao Sector Commander, DCOI Mark Asamoah-Boakye Esq., said the programme had come at an appropriate time, given the strategic nature of Aflao and its surrounding communities as a major border area.
He said the movement of traders, travellers, migrants and families across the border has not only created opportunities but also exposed vulnerable persons, particularly women and children, to risks including exploitation, abuse and trafficking.
DCOI Asamoah-Boakye said border security went beyond checking passports and monitoring the movement of goods and people, stressing that the safety and dignity of persons must also remain a central concern. “As an agency mandated to manage our borders, we recognise that border security is not only about the movement of goods and checking passports. It is fundamentally about the safety and dignity of people,” he said.
He noted that the GIS had an important role to play in protecting vulnerable persons, preventing trafficking and exploitation, identifying potential victims and ensuring that appropriate cases were referred to the relevant authorities and institutions.
The Sector Commander, however, stressed that the fight against GBV and human trafficking could not be left solely to security agencies. He called for the active involvement of families, traditional authorities, transport unions, religious leaders, community members, civil society organisations, the media, victims and survivors in the prevention and fight against such forms of abuse.
DCOI Asamoah-Boakye also urged gender and PSEAH focal persons participating in the programme to take the knowledge acquired to their respective workplaces and communities. He said focal persons often served as the first point of contact for victims and therefore needed to respond to disclosures with confidentiality, respect, sensitivity and prompt action.
The Sector Commander further disclosed that the GIS had established a “Safe Voice” platform to enable officers to report cases of exploitation, abuse and harassment confidentially and without fear of victimisation or reprisal. He urged officers of the GIS to ensure that the fight against exploitation and abuse also began within the Service itself. “Abuse, harassment and exploitation, in any form, whether you experience it or witness it, should be brought to the attention of management, either directly or through the Safe Voice platform,” he stated.
DCOI Asamoah-Boakye cited the successful prosecution of a suspected human trafficker, known as “Adebayo,” by the Aflao Sector Command as an example of the Service’s commitment to combating human trafficking. According to him, the suspect was convicted on all six counts brought against him and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently. He said the conviction sent a strong message that trafficking in persons and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals would not be tolerated.
The Sector Commander, however, emphasised that prosecution was only one component of the fight, adding that prevention through public education, early identification of vulnerabilities and reporting of suspected cases remained equally important. He therefore urged residents of border communities to regard the GIS as partners in the fight against human trafficking, GBV and exploitation.
He said the Service’s community engagement approach had already yielded results, including a significant reduction in the influx of Nigerian destitutes into local communities, a situation he said had implications for child trafficking. DCOI Asamoah-Boakye urged participants to remember that “prevention begins with awareness, protection begins with vigilance, and justice begins with reporting.”
A Focal Person at the Gender Mainstreaming Unit of the GIS Headquarters, DSI Vida Kpogo spoke on behalf of Chief Superintendent Evelyn Danquah. She also called on participants to take the messages from the programme to their workplaces, families and communities. She explained that the capacity-building programme was not merely about acquiring knowledge but about equipping participants with the understanding, confidence and responsibility needed to make a meaningful difference.
DSI Kpogo said GBV, sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, and sex trafficking had devastating consequences for individuals, families, institutions and communities and therefore required collective attention and action. She stressed that preventing such forms of violence required more than policies and procedures, but also awareness, vigilance, accountability and the willingness to speak up and act.
According to her, focal persons had a particularly important responsibility because they served as a bridge between their institutions, established systems and individuals requiring assistance in relation to GBV and related concerns.
She urged them to become “agents of awareness, prevention and positive change” by applying a gender perspective wherever they found themselves.
DSI Kpogo said focal persons must help create awareness about what constituted GBV, sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, and sex trafficking, while ensuring that officers and members of the public understood their rights, responsibilities and available reporting mechanisms.
She further urged focal persons to help create an environment in which people felt safe to speak up, report concerns and seek support without fear of intimidation, retaliation or stigma. Where complaints or disclosures were made, she said, focal persons must handle them with confidentiality, sensitivity and professionalism, while following appropriate institutional reporting and referral procedures.
She encouraged participants to carry the knowledge gained from the programme to their offices, communities, churches, families and markets. “Our responsibility is not simply to attend a capacity-building programme. Our responsibility is to carry the message forward, educate others, support appropriate reporting and contribute to lasting change,” she said.
DSI Kpogo also reminded participants that prevention began with individuals themselves, noting that the way people spoke and interacted with colleagues and members of the public, as well as how they responded to inappropriate behaviour, could either reinforce a culture of silence or promote accountability.
She called for a collective commitment to building workplaces and communities free from GBV, sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, and sex trafficking.
The durbar also featured a drama staged by officers of the Aflao Sector Command to illustrate the realities and consequences of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. The performance formed part of the awareness-creation activities designed to make the issues more relatable and encourage participants to recognise, prevent and report such cases.
An open forum was also held, during which participants raised questions and concerns on issues affecting them and their communities. The facilitators provided clarification and guidance on the issues raised, with emphasis on prevention, reporting, referral and the protection of victims and vulnerable persons.
The organisers expressed the hope that the programme would strengthen collaboration between the GIS and communities and empower participants to become effective advocates for prevention, protection, reporting and accountability in the fight against GBV, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
