On Dec. 5, the Sung Foundation launched a 16-day campaign against gender-based violence, underscoring the urgent need to protect women and girls in the Northern region.
The programme, which was held in Tolon District in the Northern region, was to sensitise the communities on violence and existing laws on sexual violence, on the theme: Come Together, Act Now, Acceleration Action to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Implemented by the dedicated team at the Sung Foundation and generously funded by the African Women’s Development Fund, the programme aimed to raise awareness among the communities on acts of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Child Marriage cases.
Mr Inusah Iddrisu, the Principal Investigator at CHRAJ, called upon traditional and religious leaders to take a leading role in the fight against SGBV, Domestic Violence, and Child Marriage. Their partnership is for violence prevention and response to these issues within their communities.
He said violence against women and girls is a human rights violation that’s been perpetuated for decades.
He appealed to community members against rape culture, which is the social environment that allows sexual violence to be normalised and justified, fueled by persistent gender inequalities and attitudes about gender and sexuality.
ASP MRS Vicentia Aboagye, Northern Regional Coordinator for the Domestic Violence Secretariat, highlighted the pervasive nature of violence, structural misogyny, and systematic inequality. She emphasised that these issues affect everyone, but women and girls are disproportionately affected.
She said because the vast majority of victims are women and girls and almost all perpetrators are men, sexual violence is a form of violence-based violence that can be eliminated by tackling the root causes of sexism.
She added that Most women and girls experience physical or sexual violence regardless of their background. Community leaders must take the lead in ensuring improved justice for survivors of sexual violence by promptly reporting violence to authorities for them to apply the laws.
Madam Bushira, the Acting Northern Regional Director for the Department of Gender, said ending Sexual Violence.
She noted that marginalised groups are more likely to experience sexual violence and to have violent interactions with the criminal justice system.
Madam Abdulai Wumbei, Social Welfare Officer at Tolon District, added that partners should respect each other to avoid violence. They should take very good care of their children, especially the girls, by preventing them from sexual violence.
