Meet the “action woman” of WAJU

A typical day at the offices of the Women and Juvenile Unit, (WAJU), of the Ghana Police Service, often reveals a crowd of people/complainants in a long queue with majority of them being women.
The complainants have different facial expressions of disappointment, form long queues and patiently wait to have their turn to tell their stories to the “action woman.” Others also visit the unit with fractures and injuries of various kinds.
The “Action Woman” is the Station Officer of the Accra WAJU office, Chief Inspector Rita Narh.
The 55 year-old Chief Inspector has been nicknamed ‘‘Action woman’’ due to the swift manner in which she handles complaints. She was born and bred at Koforidua in the Eastern Region but is a native of New Ningo in the Greater Accra region.
She attained basic education and proceeded to a typing school.
She joined the Ghana Police Service in 1970 and assumed office as Station Officer of WAJU in the year 2001.
My usual visits to WAJU as a journalist to talk to the “action woman” often takes between 45minutes to an hour, before I get the opportunity to talk to her.
Her outfit is so busy that even fellow officers at the unit do not find it easy to approach her. She is just busy all day. Sometimes I sit there and wonder how she gets the chance to visit the restroom when nature demands, let alone have her lunch.
As soon as a complainant with an assault case leaves another enters with a case of defilement, rape or non-maintenance.
As Station Officer, Chief Inspector Rita Narh is responsible for the general management of the unit.
She recalled the low patronage of the unit by the public when she assumed office. However, she said as a result of the public educational campaigns through the media, at the market places, churches, communities and lorry stations, people are beginning to know their rights and therefore visit the unit to lodge complaints.
Like any institution, Chief Inspector Narh says the unit faces certain challenges with reference to logistics particularly transport to make them mobile. ‘‘Our work becomes difficult when complainants are not able to produce witnesses when the need arise. Vital elements to support cases involving rape, such as torn panties, blood stains, sperms etc. are unfortunately washed off. Some victims simply fail to open up, perhaps due to the stigma.’’
She added that even though the volume of cases makes her worn out, she is refreshed by the frequent in house training by the unit and other non-governmental organizations.
In spite of the above challenges, she believes the unit has made successes. ‘‘Through the unit outstanding family disputes have been resolved. The general public is also currently aware of their rights’’, she said.
She said the unit employs a holistic approach to realize its objectives. Consequently, WAJU works closely with the Department of Social Welfare, the International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, (CHRAJ) and the Legal AID Board.
Other collaborators are the Gender Studies and Documentation Centre which provide training for WAJU officials, the Ark Foundation and the Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment, (WISE) and the Association of African Women Lawyers, (AWLA) that support with counseling and shelter facilities, as well as other civil society organizations.
Chief Inspector Narh told Public Agenda that all services by the unit are free, complainants and their families are treated with respect and courtesy.
She said through her four-year term she has observed that victims and complainants, particularly the women feel uneasy to see their partners/perpetrators persecuted.
She described as unfortunate the attitude by some women who try to abuse the unit and threaten their partners on the least provocation. She cautioned women not to abuse the role of the unit and urged the men to also make judicious use of the unit by reporting cases as soon as possible, as some of them have been doing already.
Chief Inspector Rita Narh believes that domestic violence should be included in school syllabus. She said domestic violence could be reduced and possibly eliminated if the general public is conscious of their rights and limitations. She hopes WAJU would have its own media to make the unit’s outreach programmes easier and effective.
Chief Inspector Narh is a staunch Christian and worships with Deeper Life Bible Church.
She reads books and counsels the junior ranks at her outfit on the need to respect and protect the profession they have chosen, during her leisure time.