Some young girls and boys with lantern during the Walk & Vigil Night
Story by: Ishmael Barfi
According to the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) and its Implementing Partners, activism against Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) is a continuous process that needs collective efforts and support especially from boys and girls.
To them, every man and boy has a responsibility to safeguard women and girls as well as ensuring that, perpetrators of Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) are dealt with in accordance with the laws of the land.
The call was made at a walk and Vigil night in remembrance of victims of Sexual Gender Based Violence( SGBV) in Ghana and beyond organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The Walk and Vigil Night was to climax this year’s 16 days activism against Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in Accra, Ghana.
Cross Section of Kayayei at the Walk & Vigil night
The Walk and Vigil Night saw staff, Implementing Partners, young girls and boys walking through the principal streets of Osu from the office of the UNFPA to the Osu Mall with placards educating and informing the general public on the dangers of SGBV and it’s impacts on the society.
This year’s theme was “Unite! Activism to end Violence Against Women and Girls”.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
Speaking to the media at the walk and Vigil night, the Executive Director of Purim African Youth Development Platform (,PAYDP) , Revered Aku Xornam Kevi revealed that, young girls especially ‘Kayaye’ which literally means head potters who runs away from child marriage to the cities to seek for refuge and ‘greener pastures’ get abused too in the cities.
“When I look at the young vulnerable girls that I work with, the kayayei, they go through all sorts of violence, go through all sorts of abuse, they are raped every day”, she bemoaned.
Assemblyman for the Electoral Area addressing the young girls
“And the reason why they run from their communities is because of child marriage. They are abducted in their communities”.
To end such act, she reiterated the need of continuous engagement of everybody irrespective of one’s background.
“We must stop child sexual and gender based violence, we must keep talking about it, we must get everybody involved policymakers, religious leaders, community members, the young people themselves, everybody must be rallied to end sexual and gender based violence”, she advocated.
“A lot of people have grown up in a society where they feel that it’s okay for a woman to be raped. It’s okay for a woman to be beaten. But we are saying now in line with a vigil that, to create awareness we need to keep talking about it. We need to keep empowering these women”.
Furthermore, empowerment of these girls and women Rev. Aku Xornam Kuvi noted should be an everyday activity to curb the sexual gender based violence against them.
Young girls at the 16 days activism against Gender Based Violence Walk & Vigil night
“The young girls we work with, some of them told me that their aim was to just get married after school because that is what is prevalent in their communities, but through education, through empowerment, a lot of these girls are having a beautiful lives, realizing their dreams and aspirations”, she said.
Adding “So this is what we are looking for. We will not stop the fight. We will keep educating the women, will keep educating the men, will keep talking, we will keep walking, and we’ll keep creating that awareness”.
On the laws, the Revered Minister admitted that, there are some flaws and needs to be looked at to ensure safe space for women and girls to realize their full potentials to contribute to the development and growth of the country.
Therefore she appealed to the policymakers to have a second look at some of the laws that would punish perpetrators to deter others from abusing women and girls in the community and the country at large.
Purim African Youth Development Platform (PAYDP) is a partner organization to the ending Child Marriage program in Ghana with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Safia Tatmimu, Representative of the Domestic Violence Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP)
Taking her turn to address the gathering at the walk and Vigil night, a representative of the Domestic Violence Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Safia Tatmimu indicated that, though the 16 days of activism has ended, activism continues to ensure every woman and girl is safe and protected.
To her, more needs to be done after 16 days of activism looking at the data with respect to SGBV.
She also called on the men and fathers who tend to use their own daughters as sex slaves as well as men who abuses their domestic assistance to put a stop it.
“We encourage all of you to kindly join us in the fight of this SGBV we can’t do it alone. That is why we are here for everybody to see that we are really fighting terrorists and in this SGBV and other gender based violence”.
Therefore encouraged women and girls to be bold to report any sexual gender based violence to the appropriate authorities and also urged all and sundry to come on board to avoid gender based violence stressing that, the Ministry will try and do whatever it can do to end SGBV in Ghana.
“Kindly join us the Ministry of Gender and all our development partners, UNFPA is leading this process. Please kindly join us to say no to gender based violence”, Safia Tatmimu advocated.
A victim of Sexual Gender Based Violence can call the orange radio via toll free number 0800111222 to report and for assistance.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
