Ghana – 16 Days Campaign + Men’s Pledge Against GBV
Author: Womens UN Report Network
Date: December 13, 2010
WUNRN
“Every Ghanaian irrespective of the status, political affiliation,
economic background, religion or gender, has a responsibility in ensuring that
a daughter, sister, mother, niece, grandmother and other female relatives are
protected from violence.”
PRESS
RELEASE
“16 Days, 16 Ways of Ending Violence against
Women” – WiLDAF
commemorates the global campaign in
25th
November to 10th December 2010
This
year marked the 20th anniversary of the 16
Days
of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, and with this important landmark, Women in Law and
Development in Africa (WiLDAF Ghana) considered new ways to utilize the
campaign for transformative change. The attention that gender-based violence
has received in national, regional and international fora is a testimony to the
powerful actions of women’s rights activists around the world. Yet, despite
this increased awareness, women continue to experience violations in alarming
numbers and new forms of violence are emerging. As women’s rights organizations,
and good citizens of
we have a responsibility to look more closely at the structures that permit
gender-based violence to exist and persist. More importantly, every Ghanaian
irrespective of the status, political affiliation, economic background,
religion or gender has a responsibility in ensuring that a daughter, sister,
mother, niece, grandmother and other female relatives are protected from
violence.
Women in Law and Development in Africa
(WiLDAF
its activities around a special theme: “16 Days, 16 Ways of Ending Violence
Against Women” with a focus on involving “specialized” groups, which include :
· Media: Through
the media gender based abuses particularly against women and girls are
highlighted for the attention of the police. At the same time, the media is a
useful tool to reaching a large number of people with messages on ending gender
based violence. WiLDAF will hold a day’s seminar with the media to identify
enhanced ways of ending violence against girls and women.
· Islamic
leaders; Many people will report
gender based violence to religious leaders. Given the critical role these
leaders play in our society, knowledge of the Domestic Violence Act, where to
go for help and techniques for dealing with reported cases will be the focus of
discussion. .
· People
living with HIV and AIDS: Gender inequality, low socio-economic status of women, and
gender based violence make women and girls more vulnerable to HIV infection.
WiLDAF Ghana has taken the initiative to involve persons living with HIV/AIDS
in the campaign to provide them with the
space to air their views on how to help break the silence and say no to
violence.
· Teachers
and students: Recent media and public outcry against violence in educational
institutions usually perpetrated by teachers, proprietors or other students
require an in-depth discussion on what can be done to put an end to this
practice. Teachers and students will candidly share their views on how to
address violence in educational institutions.
· Rural
women farmers: While the existence of formal mechanisms of redress such as the
police, courts, and NGOs are readily available in urban areas, women farmers in
rural areas face peculiar challenges
because of their situation. Thus, ways by which women farmers in rural areas
can deal with violence will be discussed at a seminar.
· Traditional
Authorities: Within the informal setting, traditional leaders play a key role in
mediating cases of violence, referring egregious cases to the police as well as
educating citizens on their rights. Queen mothers will meet to deliberate on
their roles in ensuring that communities live free of violence.
· Human
rights defenders: 29th of November
has been set aside globally as
International Women’s Human Rights Defenders Day, therefore WiLDAF is
dedicating that day for a public forum targeting over 200 participants to
celebrate activism, advocacy and courageous acts of resistance of some human
rights activists/defenders.
· People
with Disability: Disabled persons are subjected to various forms of abuse. A seminar
with this group will enable them to present their special concerns to policy
makers
The
events were held in the Western, Central, Volta and Greater
Accra Regions.
The 16
Days Campaign is a global initiative that seeks to: raise awareness at the local, national
and international levels regarding violence against women, strengthen local
work, link local and global activism, provide a forum for dialogue and
strategy-sharing, pressure governments to implement the commitments they have
made in national and international legal instruments, and demonstrate the
solidarity of activists around the world.
The 16 Days Campaign originated at the first Women’s Global Leadership
Institute organized by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991, and
over the course of the last 20 years, more than 3,400 organizations in 164
countries have participated in the campaign.
The campaign begins on November 25
because that date has been designated International Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women. Additionally,
November 25 is significant here in Africa because the Protocol on the Rights of
Women in
Peoples’ Rights entered into force on this date five years ago. The concluding date for the campaign, December
10, is celebrated as International Human Rights Day because the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on this date in 1948. Violence against women is one of the most
serious human rights violations in the world today. This year the global theme for the 16 Days
campaign is “Militarism and Violence Against Women”.
For
Further information please contact Patricia Essel or Mercy Adjabeng on 00233-
0302 -768349 or info@wildaf.org
Signed
by
Bernice
Sam, National Programme Coordinator
WiLDAF
22nd
November 2010
__________________________________________________
http://www.wildaf-ao.org/eng/spip.php?article1528
GHANA
– MEN’S PLEDGE AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
World
Vision Ghana, Enslavement Prevention Alliance, West Africa (EPAWA) and Women’s
Initiative for Self Empowerment is organized a “Men’s Walk” against
violence against women on December 4 to pledge to end violence against women
and girls which is on the increase in Ghana. Journalists, clergy, actors,
security agencies, parliamentarians, musicians and gender advocates will march
through some principal streets of Ghana’s capital Accra, and listen to talks
from men who have fought on behalf of women to appeal to their fellow men to
join hands in the fight against gender violence. A Petition would be presented
to Parliamentarians after the march.
One (1) in
every three (3) women is affected by violence within the family in Ghana. Over
109,784 cases of domestic violence have been recorded in Accra alone within the
last decade.
Today, Ghana
is experiencing widespread gender violence including sexual violence, rape,
incest, sexual harassment, trafficking for sexual exploitation, domestic
violence physical violence, and cultural practices which includes, child
marriages, female genital mutilation, Trokosi, violence against elderly women
accused of witchcraft, widowhood inheritance and widowhood rites. As men, we
recognize that violence against women and the girl child affects men as well as
women. It affects the Family, the Community and the Nation.
We recognize
that men and male leaders have an important role to play in stopping
gender-based violence, and acting as role models for other men. Today, we are
joining our voices to denounce gender-based violence in Ghana and to publicly
commit ourselves to work in active solidarity with women, government and NGOs
committed to end the ongoing gender-based violence in Ghana.
As men, we
call upon other men and male leaders to publicly speak out, and to join in this
global call to protect Ghanaian women and children from all types of gender
based violence. As men, we affirm that protecting women and girls and affirming
their dignity is Positive Masculinity. By signing this pledge you are
committing yourself to be a role model for positive masculinity and to promote
gender equality and equity beginning with your family, friends, work place, and
community.
Categories: Releases