End violence against women and girls – Action Aid

ActionAid Ghana, a global justice federation working to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication, has stepped up efforts aimed at ending violence against women and girls in the Brong Ahafo Region

To this end, the NGO has lined-up a series of programmes to commemorate this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Every year, from 25 November, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, the United Nations and its partners in the world observe and celebrate 16 days of global efforts against Gender-Based Violence.

These 16 days are set aside worldwide to galvanize action to end all forms of violence against women and girls.

The international campaign originated from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute coordinated by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991, declaring the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

This year’s theme for the Global Campaign “Leave No One Behind: End Violence against Women and Girls” - reflecting the core principle of the transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This reinforces the Global Campaign’s commitment by all to a world free from violence for all women and girls, while reaching the most underserved and marginalized, people living with disability, indigenous peoples, among others.

A Statement issued by ActionAid Ghana in Sunyani said the NGO will observe the 16 day period reflecting on key interventions implemented over the years geared towards mobilizing over 3,000 mass movement of women to fight against all forms of violence against women and girls in Ghana and solicit stakeholders support for our community interventions and regional campaigns.

These interventions including community education, a campaign to end child marriage and other dehumanizing traditions and cultures, and the piloting Community-Based Anti-Violence Team (COMBAT) to fight violence in the communities.

Others include campaigns for the opening of more DOVVSU offices, which will contribute to addressing the structural causes of violence and secure women’s economic justice.

Meanwhile, the Brong Ahafo Regional Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana, Melody Azinim, says “For us at ActionAid, we believe that no one should suffer from any form of violence.

“As an organization one of our focus areas is to address the structural causes of violence against women and girls and as we focus on women and girls who are mostly the victims of violence we call on everyone to take action by speaking against violence, reporting cases of violence and supporting victims to achieve justice.”

She added “we must not take for granted the impact of violence in our development agenda and in achieving the SDG’s. We must therefore ensure that every woman and every girl is protected and safe in their homes, school and communities”.

To mark this year’s celebrations, the Brong Ahafo Regional Programme of ActionAid Ghana will hold various radio discussions to advocate and galvanize support in the fight against gender based violence in the region.

Among others, the occasion would be expected to raise the awareness on the current trend of gender-based violence cases in the region, solicit stakeholders support in reducing gender-based violence and advocate for the opening of more DOVVSU offices in the region.

Richard Kofi Boahen, Sunyani, - ([email protected])