Piase(Ash), April 8, GNA-A Community Anti-Violence Team (COMBAT) Project aimed at creating education and awareness in violence against women launched a year ago for the people of Piase in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District, has improved the living conditions of 1,300 people including women.

The project, funded at the cost of 11,000 dollars by the United States Democracy and Human Rights Fund Two and executed by the Centre for the Development of the People (CEDEP) a non-governmental organization also enabled the establishment of a 12-member COMBAT Team to arbitrate in cases of violence against women in the area.

Mrs. Elizabeth Adubofour, the Project Coordinator announced this at a ceremony to hand over the project to the community at Piase on Tuesday. As part of the programme the members of the COMBAT Team were given a series of training to build their capacity to handle such cases in the community.

She said members of the community have also gained considerable knowledge with respect to violence against women and have appreciated the problem and its devastating effects on both development in their homes, community and the nation as a whole. The Project Coordinator commended the work of the various stakeholders in the project, including the Police Service, the Department of Social Welfare, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and others for the good work done in ensuring the success of the project.

Mrs. Adubofour appealed to the BAK District Assembly to sustain the project by providing adequate funds to help improve the status of people especially women in the area. Mr. Charles Asamoah, Deputy District Coordinating Director, extended gratitude and appreciation to the CEDEP for training a 12-member COMBAT team to mediate and facilitate the administration of sanctions for perpetrators of domestic violence in the community. He gave the assurance that the Assembly would continue to support the project to enhance the living conditions of the people, the district and the country as a whole.

Mrs. Elizabeth Botchway, the Ashanti Regional Director of Department of Women (MOWAC) said violence against women is a worldwide phenomenon and hoped that the Violence Against Women Act would help to address such problems to enable women play positive roles in national development. She announced that plans were far underway for the MOWAC to support women groups in the area with loans to enable them to undertake income-generating ventures to improve their livelihood. Mr Michael Appiagyei, Assemblyman and Secretary of the 12-member COMBAT Team said the team was able to settle about 30 cases within its short period of operation and appealed to individuals and organizations to support the project. 09 April 08