The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in partnership with the Danish Development Assistance to Ghana (DANIDA), have successfully completed a two-day community durbar on ending gender-based violence in the Bongo district of the Upper East Region.
Stakeholders including chiefs, queen mothers, assembly members, religious bodies, parents and children discussed the causes and effects of gender-based violence and how it is affecting development in the area.
Community members were sensitized on their roles in the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence through discouraging violent behavior, discrimination and outmoded cultural norms that condone violence against women and girls.
Participants, particularly men and boys, who are the major perpetrators’ were also educated on how to identify and report acts of sexual and gender-based violence to appropriate authorities for remedy.
Programme manager, Ms. Petra DeGraft- Johnson, stated that statistics shows a high rate of sexual and gender based violence.
“One out of three women have been sexually abused, between 2010 and 2015 for every year, DOVVSU records a minimum of about 17,000 cases of sexual and gender-based violence against women, followed by rape , defilement and non-maintenance,” Ms. Petra stated.
She said the worrying trend of sexual and gender-based violence should be comprehensively discussed in all settings of society and appropriate mechanisms adopted in order to end the menace.
The head of the Bongo District office of CHRAJ, Mr. Amos Ayuure, bemoaned the widespread cases of sexual and gender-based violence in the district.
He hinted that most cases are usually reported to the traditional and opinion leaders for interventions and are only reported to CHRAJ when the situation becomes exacerbated.
Mr. Ayuure schooled residents on sexual and gender-based violence and urged them to report all such cases to his outfit for speedy resolution.
Bongo Paramount Chief, Bo-naba Salifu Baba Alemyaarum, lauded the programme and pledged his support to fight the canker.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana