The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Ghana) has called on the government to significantly increase funding for the Domestic Violence (DV) Fund in the 2027 national budget, warning that years of underfunding and delayed disbursements are undermining support for survivors.
The organisation is asking the government to allocate at least 1% of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection’s goods and services budget to the DV Fund, with annual increases of about 30%. It also wants funds released early in the financial year to prevent disruptions to services for survivors.
Appeal ahead of budget
FIDA-Ghana made the appeal at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, November 4, ahead of the expected presentation of the 2027 budget on Thursday, November 12. The call was delivered by the organisation’s Acting Executive Director, Nana Akosua Asante.
The group said the 2027 budget presents an important opportunity for government to strengthen support for survivors, particularly as it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (Act 732). The Act established the DV Fund to provide basic material support, training, rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration for victims, as well as support for shelters and capacity building.
“We are urging government to take advantage of the 2027 budget, which will also coincide with the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Domestic Violence Act 2007, to significantly increase its budgetary allocation to the domestic violence fund,” Asante said.
“Allocate at least one percent of the Gender ministry’s services budget to the DV Fund with planned annual increases of about 30%.”
Persistent funding gaps
FIDA-Ghana said its findings show that the DV Fund has received less than 0.01% of the total budget allocated to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. It attributed this to the ministry directing much of its resources to larger programmes, including the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme and the School Feeding Programme.
According to the organisation, the fund has faced chronic underfunding, extreme annual volatility and delays in disbursement since 2017. It also said no capital expenditure has been consistently earmarked for the construction or expansion of shelters.
FIDA-Ghana’s analysis found that none of the GHS 1 million allocated to the fund in 2021 was released. Releases improved in 2022, when the full GHS 2.11 million allocation was disbursed, but fell to 68% of the GHS 1 million-plus allocation in 2023 and 29.24% of the GHS 2.7 million-plus allocation in 2024.
In 2025, the allocation dropped to GHS 337,500, with 59.3% released. For 2026, GHS 1.6 million was allocated, but FIDA-Ghana said the amount actually released remained unknown.
“All allocated funds to the DV fund should be released in the first quarter of the implementing year to make funds available throughout the year and same should be retained beyond the financial year if funds are not exhausted at the end of the fiscal year,” Asante said.