A section of the facilitators and participants
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has intensified the fight against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) with a call for stronger community and institutional action.
The two organisations have engaged residents and key stakeholders in the Asokore Mampong Municipality on measures to prevent gender-based violence (GBV), protect vulnerable persons and improve access to support services for victims and survivors.
The engagement, held at the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly Conference Room, formed part of a nationwide public hearing and stakeholder engagement programme under the UNFPA-supported project, “Scaling Up Access to Rights-Based Integrated Gender-Based Violence Services.”
The project seeks to strengthen mechanisms for protecting the rights of survivors and improve their access to health, psychosocial, legal and social support services.
The engagement brought together representatives from state institutions, civil society organisations, traditional authorities, faith-based organisations, service providers, survivor advocates, community members and the media.
Participants were taken through issues including gender equality and transformative approaches, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, affirmative action as a tool for addressing GBV, and the protection of family life and health.
The programme was highly interactive, with participants asking questions, sharing experiences and offering suggestions on practical ways to strengthen the prevention, reporting and response to GBV.
Speaking at the engagement, Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, Ms. Mercy Larbi, disclosed that the Commission had received 295 recommendations from sister countries concerning Ghana’s human rights situation, with about half relating to gender-based violence and gender equality.
She said the recommendations highlighted challenges that Ghana continued to grapple with and required coordinated efforts among stakeholders to develop lasting solutions.
Ms. Larbi said CHRAJ was engaging communities and relevant institutions across the country to gather views on the challenges surrounding GBV and identify practical interventions to strengthen the country’s response.
She stressed the need for collective action to ensure that women, men and children were protected from violence and enjoyed their fundamental human rights.
The participants were educated on various forms of GBV, including physical, sexual, emotional and psychological violence, verbal abuse and economic violence.
They were informed that economic violence could include the deliberate denial or neglect of a child’s basic needs, such as food, shelter, education, clothing and healthcare.
Sexual violence, rape and defilement were also highlighted as serious forms of abuse requiring prompt intervention and appropriate support for victims and survivors.
The engagement further highlighted the serious and lasting consequences of GBV, including emotional trauma, psychological distress, relationship difficulties and other challenges affecting the wellbeing of survivors.
Participants were therefore encouraged to speak out against abuse, support survivors and work collectively to create safer communities.
The discussions also underscored the importance of gender equality as a key strategy for preventing GBV.
Participants noted that violence could be linked to unequal power relations, harmful social norms and cultural practices that disadvantaged certain groups, particularly women and girls.
They stressed that promoting gender equality was not about creating competition between men and women but about building a society where everyone could live in safety, dignity and equal respect.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Asokore Mampong, Ben Abdallah, appealed to traditional leaders to support efforts to protect the rights and welfare of the girl-child.
He particularly called on chiefs and community leaders to help combat child and girl-child marriage, noting that some cultural practices could undermine the rights, education and development of girls.
He urged traditional authorities, government institutions, civil society organisations and community members to work together to address practices that exposed children to abuse and deprived them of opportunities.
The engagement also called for stronger collaboration among social welfare offices, health facilities, security agencies, traditional authorities and local government structures to ensure that survivors received timely and appropriate assistance.
Young people were encouraged to become advocates for positive behavioural change and reject practices that promoted violence and discrimination.
Participants commended CHRAJ and UNFPA for the initiative and called for sustained community education and regular stakeholder engagements to empower residents to identify, report and appropriately respond to cases of gender-based violence.
They also urged stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and accountability mechanisms to ensure that victims and survivors of GBV received the protection, care and justice they deserved.