By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog
Siniensi, (U/E), Dec 13, GNA – The Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organisation (ADDRO), a non-governmental organisation, has launched a campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the Siniensi community of the Builsa North Municipality in the Upper East Region.
It has also donated hygiene materials and exercise books to the Upper Primary and Junior High Schools (JHS) of Siniensi.
The initiative was part of activities mark the 16 Days of Activism against GBV against women and girls across communities in the Upper East Region.
It formed part of ADDRO’s Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) interventions aimed at promoting equality and social inclusion, funded by the Episcopal Relief and Development based in the United States of America (USA).
The 16 Days of Activism is an international civil society-led campaign instituted by the United Nations (UN) to increase awareness and trigger actions to end GBV against women and girls, celebrated from November 25 to December 10 each year, aimed at eliminating GBV against women and girls worldwide.
Mr Emmanuel Tia Nabila, the Executive Director of ADDRO, addressing over 500 participants, including students and residents of the Siniensi community, said GBV was one of the developmental challenges faced by both developed and underdeveloped countries.
He noted that “globally, an estimated 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.”
This, he highlighted, was worrying, as the situation was even worse in underdeveloped countries, including Ghana.
He therefore called for deliberate efforts to be made by all stakeholders to curtail the phenomenon to enable female children to reach their full potentials without being subjected to any form of abuse.
He emphasised that the girl child was capable just as the male child, given the opportunity and the needed support, and underscored the need to invest in girls’ education, champion women’s economic empowerment, women, and girls’ inclusion in decision-making.
Mr Justus Atayaaba Triumph, Acting Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) at the Builsa North Municipality, presenting on the theme, “Unite! To end violence against women and girls,” discouraged violence in all forms against women and girls.
He said there were legal implications against persons who subject women and girls to various forms of abuse and urged victims or survivors to report to his outfit or seek legal address at Legal Aid to deter perpetrators from normalising GBV against women and girls.
Pognab Francisca Amoak, Queen Mother of Sandema-Awusu-yeri community, expressed gratitude to ADDRO and its sponsors for sensitising the community on GBV against women and girls and called on men to coexist peacefully with their partners and give equal opportunity to the girl child.
GNA