By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah
Accra, Sept. 03, GNA – Twelve teachers from 10 schools in the Greater Accra Region have been trained as Gender Advocates, equipped with the knowledge and skills to combat gender-based violence (GBV) within their schools.
The training was part of a project dubbed: “Young Voices Matter: Empowering Boys and Girls to fight GBV”, led by Ms Regina Asamoah, an awardee of the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) Impact.
The project is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Educational and Cultural Affairs, with Meridian International Centre serving as the implementing partner.
The comprehensive training, according to a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, held in Accra, covered essential aspects of GBV, including understanding its dynamics, recognising psychological impacts, leveraging technology for intervention, and employing age-appropriate communication strategies.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired) Dr Patience Quaye, a U.S. Embassy Ghana GBV Champion and Fellow of Missing Children Ghana, who led the session on understanding GBV, said GBV was a crime and highlighted the importance of educating learners, supporting survivors, and ensuring that perpetrators faced justice.
Dr Quaye provided participants with insights into the definition, statistics, and common signs and symptoms of GBV, particularly in students.
She addressed the potential for teachers to be perpetrators and discussed the importance of school policies and procedures for reporting and addressing incidents.
Dr Dzifa Abrah Attah, a Clinical Psychologist, facilitating the session on the psychological impacts of GBV, gave the teachers signs to show that a student was experiencing GBV and counseled them on how to provide emotional and psychological support for them.
Dr Attah, also a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School, encouraged teachers to familiarise themselves with their school’s mental health resources, consider referrals, follow up on them, and provide academic accommodations during students’ recovery.
She also led participants to plan a student-led GBV awareness campaign, empowering students to prevent, protect, and seek support in cases of GBV.
Professor Samuel Kojo Kwofie, Head of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Ghana, educated teachers on the use of technology to address GBV and emphasised the role of technology in preventing GBV, creating safe spaces, and supporting survivors.
Participants, the statement said explored existing technologies, including panic buttons, voice apps, medical apps, web-based applications, and various AI-assisted tools designed to combat GBV.
Prof Kwofie also discussed Technology-Facilitated GBV, which included cyberstalking, cyberbullying, doxxing, cyber mob attacks, image-based abuse, online impersonation, sextortion, online harassment, revenge porn, and shallowfakes.
“Many of our students may be experiencing Technology-Facilitated GBV, and we need to be vigilant, especially given that almost every student has a phone and spends a significant amount of time online,” he said.
Prof Kwofie advocated the development of locally relevant apps tailored to address the specific manifestations of GBV in schools.
Ms Regina Asamoah, the IVLP Impact Awardee and Founder of Missing Children Ghana, conducting a session on effective communication strategies for addressing GBV in schools, introduced the ‘Role-Playing Teaching Technique’ as an effective tool for age-appropriate and inclusive communication, and encouraged learners to “act out” their experiences of GBV.
Also a Gender Advocate, Ms Asamoah, expressed an optimism that the trained teachers became Gender Advocates in their respective schools, applying the knowledge and skills gained during the workshop.
The next step in the “Young Voices Matter” project, she said included GBV sensitisation programmes in schools and the development of educational documentaries on GBV, drawing from the various engagements with teachers and students.
She expressed an appreciation to the United States Department of State, Meridian International Center, U.S. Embassy Ghana, Missing Children Ghana, and its partners for their collaborative support, which was instrumental in ensuring the successful implementation of the first activity under the “Young Voices Matter” project.
Participants also expressed their gratitude for the valuable insights and knowledge gained during the workshop, which had made them well prepared to take on the new role as Gender Advocates.
Madam Mulikatu Mohammed, Headteacher of Darul Hijra Islamic Basic School, said: “The action plans we developed are a critical step in ensuring that we go back to our school and implement what we have learned.”
Mr Raphael Kweku Segbefia, a teacher at the St. Augustine R/C Junior High School, stated: “This programme has enlightened me on the scope of this issue and has given me the platform to learn how to use technology to address it. I am a proud advocate, and I am going to work for the success of this project.”
The training concluded with participants developing action plans for their schools and receiving certificates of participation.
GNA