Accra, Oct. 20, GNA - A three-day training workshop aimed at educating members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) on issues concerning child rights, gender-based violence and its impact on the institution opened in Accra on Wednesday.

The workshop, organised by the Child Protection Unit and Legal Directorate of GAF on behalf of Save the Children, Sweden, has the theme; "Minimising Gender-Based Violence in the Society." Brigadier-General John Forkuo, Director General of Training, General Headquarters, in his opening address, said the growth and development of democracy and rule of law in the evolving political dispensation was making the public aware of and alive to their rights. He said the military could, therefore, not afford to sit down unconcerned and allow itself to be overtaken by events.

"The men and women of the GAF must position themselves in order to move along with the rest of the country in this transformation." Brigadier-General Forkuo said participants would have to avail themselves of every opportunity to learn and to be abreast with current trends.

He said issues of gender-based violence (GBV) on wives and children in the barracks were of concern to the Military High Command, especially in this era where the society had become vigilant and almost every activity of theirs was under the watchful eyes of the public. "The lenses of civil society organisations and human rights groups are focused on your individual lives at the barracks in a way that makes it virtually impossible for Command to shield you when you maltreat your spouses, children and dependants," he added.

The programme will help equip the participants with requisite knowledge and impetus to handle issues concerning their families in a better way than they used to do.

Colonel Edem Fiawoo, Director of Legal Services of GAF, said gender inequality and violence against women in particular also affected the lives of every person regardless of age or gender. He noted that gender-based violence was a human rights problem throughout the world, adding that military personnel and adults had the moral duty to understand what it entailed so that they could protect the rights of the vulnerable in times of war.

Col. Fiawoo expressed the hope that the three-day workshop would provide a good foundation for participants in the area of child protection and training and help them understand the issues of gender-based violence both during conflict and peace times.