By Aukaisha Abdullai
Tamale, Mar 14, GNA – The Gender Rights and Empowerment Project (GREP) has been launched to eliminate gender-based violence, enhance access to justice, and economically empower women and girls.
The project, which is being implemented across the Northern and the Coastal Regions of the country, will ensure the establishment of One-Stop Centres to provide comprehensive support services including legal aid, psychosocial counseling, health care, and economic empowerment programmes for survivors of witchcraft accusations and intimate partner violence.
It is being implemented by Songtaba, an NGO, in partnership with Renel Ghana Foundation and with funding support from the UN Trust Fund.
Hajia Lamnatu Adam, Executive Director of Songtaba, speaking during the launch of the project, which was also in commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day, said it would amongst others focus on intimate partner violence and witchcraft accusations.
She explained that due to intimate partner violence and witchcraft accusations “A lot of women are suffering and dying in silence and most of the rural women are even afraid to get old and they are no longer concerned about their health issues but rather frustrated thinking about the possibility of them being accused of witchcraft.”
She urged parents to take their children’s education seriously, especially the girls, indicating that research had shown that 100 per cent of women, who had been accused of witchcraft, had not been to school.
She emphasised that “Most of the form of this violence is economic violence because a lot of women do not have the economic power.”
Mr Abdul-Wahab Tahiru, Project Coordinator, emphasised the expected impact of the project, saying it would improve safety and well-being of women accused of witchcraft and intimate partner violence, shift in societal attitudes towards gender equality, women’s rights and strengthen policy environment, and improve legal protection for vulnerable women and girls.
Miss Victoria Ama Asieduwaa, Principal State Attorney, Office of the Attorney General, said the high rate of gender-based violence perpetrated against especially women and children was one of the pressing human rights issues in the country.
She said, “It is estimated that only 10% of women, who experience violence, report it to the authorities indicating a significant gap in access to justice and support and illustrates the critical needs for initiatives like the Gender Rights and Empowerment Project to address and combat gender-based violence in Ghana.”
She called on traditional and religious leaders, government agencies and all stakeholders to join hands to create a safe and equitable environment for all women and girls in the country.
Dr Alhussein Zakaria, Spokesperson for the Northern Regional Chief Imam, who chaired the launch, commended Songtaba and its partners for this project.
He said, “The project seeks to correct the mistakes of humanity and ensure that the world moves in a right direction, and it will also go a long way to accomplish the peace Islam is preaching for and also reduce poverty in our communities and society at large.”
GNA
EA/KOA