CHRAJ, UNFPA Intensify Fight Against Gender-Based Violence

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has intensified efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) through increased community engagement and stakeholder collaboration.

The latest engagement, held at the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly Conference Room, brought together residents and key stakeholders to deliberate on ways of preventing gender-based violence (GBV), protecting vulnerable persons and improving support for victims and survivors.

The programme formed part of a nationwide public hearing and stakeholder engagement initiative 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 while improving access to health, psychosocial, legal and social support services.

Representatives from state institutions, civil society organisations, traditional authorities, faith-based organisations, service providers, survivor advocates, community members and the media participated in the engagement.

295 RECOMMENDATIONS

Speaking during the programme, Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, Ms Mercy Larbi, revealed that the Commission had received 295 recommendations from sister countries on Ghana’s human rights situation, with about half of them relating to gender-based violence and gender equality.

She said the recommendations pointed to issues that Ghana continued to grapple with and required concerted efforts from state institutions, civil society organisations and communities to address.

Ms Larbi explained that CHRAJ was therefore engaging communities and relevant institutions across the country to gather views on the challenges associated with GBV and identify practical interventions to strengthen the national response.

She stressed that protecting people from violence was a collective responsibility and urged stakeholders to work together to ensure that women, men and children enjoyed their fundamental human rights.

FORMS OF ABUSE

Participants were educated on various forms of gender-based violence, including physical, sexual, emotional and psychological violence, verbal abuse and economic violence.

They were informed that economic violence could involve the deliberate denial or neglect of a child’s basic needs, including food, shelter, education, clothing and healthcare.

Rape and defilement were also identified as serious forms of sexual violence requiring prompt intervention and appropriate support for victims and survivors.

The engagement highlighted the devastating consequences of GBV, including emotional trauma, psychological distress, relationship difficulties and other challenges that could affect the long-term wellbeing of survivors.

Participants were consequently encouraged to speak out against abuse, support survivors and help create safer communities.

EQUALITY

Facilitators also addressed 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.

Participants noted that GBV could be linked to unequal power relations, harmful social norms and cultural practices that disadvantaged certain groups, particularly women and girls.

They stressed that gender equality should not be viewed as a competition between men and women but as a means of creating a society where everyone could live with safety, dignity and equal respect.

MCE’S APPEAL

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Asokore Mampong, Hon. Ben Abdallah, appealed to traditional leaders to support efforts to protect the rights and welfare of the girl-child.

He particularly urged 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 called for stronger cooperation among traditional authorities, government institutions, civil society organisations and community members to address practices that exposed children to abuse and deprived them of opportunities.

The engagement further called for improved 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 also encouraged to become advocates for positive behavioural change and reject practices that promote violence and discrimination.

Participants commended CHRAJ and UNFPA for the initiative and called for regular community education programmes to empower residents to identify, report and appropriately respond to cases of gender-based violence.

They also urged stakeholders to strengthen accountability mechanisms to ensure that victims and survivors received the protection, care and justice they deserved.