The Canadian High Commissioner, H.E. Mr. Jean Pierre Bolduc, has officially launched the Trust Fund for the Gender Violence Survivors Support Network (GVSSN) at the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra.

The trust fund will assist victims obtain the required medical reports from hospitals to facilitate the legal prosecution of perpetrators. It was established with a contribution of approximately forty six million cedis from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, which is an important element of the intervention of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in Ghana.

Announcing the fund, the High Commissioner declared that "the Trust Fund will represent a major and significant step in the fight against gender-based violence and sexual abuse of women and children in Ghanaian society".

Administrative linkages have been established with the Police Hospital in Accra, the Okomfo Anokye Hospital in Kumasi, the Tema General Hospital and the Koforidua Hospital under which funds have been placed with the hospital administrators to pay for medical examination and reports. The trust fund will be managed by a committee comprising representatives from CIDA, WAJU, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the Korle Bu Polyclinic, the Ark Foundation and WISE.

This project of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives was chosen by the Canadian High Commission because of the potential impact on the eradication of gender violence.

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives supports projects in a variety of sectors including health, nutrition, agriculture, education, water and sanitation, human resource development, the promotion of human rights and the development of democracy.

Emphasis is placed o projects that improve the social well-being and economic welfare of the community, particularly of the disadvantaged and marginalized. Preference is given to proposals for modest funding to allow the Canada Fund to support a larger number of requests.

The high commissioner was joined by Ms. Esther Appiah, Commander of the WAJU, Mr. Boateng Appiah, Commissioner of Police in charge of Welfare and Ms. Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, Executive Director of the Ark Foundation.