Providing Legal Aid Support Services
Our Legal Aid Support Services program is an initiative designed to provide free legal aid support services to survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and vulnerable women accused of witchcraft in underserved regions of Ghana especially in the Volta and Northern regions of Ghana. This project aims to address the dual challenges of SGBV and the harmful practice of witchcraft accusations, both of which disproportionately affect women and girls, leading to severe human rights violations.
In many communities in the Volta and Northern regions of Ghana, particularly in rural areas, survivors of SGBV face significant barriers in accessing justice. Cultural stigma, lack of legal awareness, and economic hardship often prevent these survivors from seeking legal redress.
Additionally, the practice of accusing women, especially elderly women, of witchcraft remains prevalent in some areas. These accusations often result in social ostracism, violence, and even death, with the accused having little to no access to legal representation.
The primary target beneficiaries of the project include Survivors of SGBV, primarily women and girls, who require legal assistance to pursue justice. It also includes vulnerable women, particularly elderly women, who have been accused of witchcraft and face persecution and violence.
Project Objectives
Provide Free Legal Aid
Dream Africa in partnership with private legal practitioners, and Ghana’s legal aid commission offer free legal representation, advice, and support to SGBV survivors and women accused of witchcraft. We provide direct legal services, including court representation, to ensure that survivors and accused women have access to justice.
Raise Awareness and Educate Communities
The organization conducts community outreach programs to educate people about the legal rights of SGBV survivors and the dangers of witchcraft accusations. These include awareness campaigns and legal literacy workshops in target communities to educate the public on SGBV, human rights, and the illegality of witchcraft accusations.
Strengthen Legal and Community Support Systems
We embark on capacity building programs to train community paralegals and volunteers to support the legal needs of survivors and accused women, ensuring sustainable local capacity to handle these issues.
Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement
Dream Africa works with local authorities, traditional leaders, and law enforcement to improve the handling of SGBV cases and reduce the incidence of witchcraft accusations.
