By Miriam Oparebea
Ashaiman, Jan. 23, GNA — A research study by SEND Ghana, sponsored by Oxfam and Global Affairs Canada under the Power to Choose project, has identified homes and schools as the primary locations for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against youth and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The report, titled: “Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Among Youth and Persons with Disabilities,” revealed that 65 per cent of reported SGBV cases occurred within homes, while 14.7 per cent took place in schools.
The study, which gathered data from 29 communities across six districts; Sagnarigu, Savelugu, West Mamprusi, Awutu Senya East, Cape Coast, and Ashaiman, showed that 84 per cent of respondents had either witnessed or personally experienced some form of SGBV.
The findings were presented at a district-level dialogue held in Ashaiman, where participants noted that different groups experienced varying forms of abuse.
According to the report, persons with disabilities most frequently experienced verbal abuse, accounting for 38 per cent of reported cases, while sexual abuse was the most prevalent form of violence against the youth, representing 32.06 per cent.
Mr Bright Otoo, a youth advocate and lead researcher, attributed the high incidence of abuse in perceived safe spaces to victims’ silence and the physical, social, and systemic barriers that prevented PWDs from defending themselves or reporting abuse.
Mr Otoo added that family members were identified as the primary perpetrators of SGBV, followed by friends and acquaintances.
Mr Clifford Henaku Budu, the Ashaiman Municipal Director of Education, speaking on the cases recorded in schools, said administrative safeguards had been strengthened to respond to abuse.
Mr Budu noted that coordinators had been deployed at both school and municipal levels to provide targeted education and support to victims.
“If a child is able to confide in any trusted officer, even if that person is not directly in charge of such cases, it is a step in the right direction,” he said.
Mr Jacob Torah of the Ghana Education Service (GES) called for the institutionalisation of SGBV safeguarding modules in schools and proposed the establishment of designated reporting corners to enable children to report abuse without fear or intimidation.
Chief Inspector Samuel Hlordzi of the Ashaiman Divisional Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) identified social stigma and family interference as major barriers to justice.
“The perpetrators are mostly people known to the survivor, especially at the household level, which makes reporting and prosecution difficult,” he said.
He further explained that the dependence of persons with disabilities on caregivers often heightened their vulnerability to abuse.
The report also revealed that 21.6 per cent of survivors remained silent due to a lack of knowledge about where to seek help, while 21.3 per cent feared community judgment.
Mr Billa Mallon Saani, representing Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), advocated the creation of a multi-sectoral platform involving all stakeholders.
He said such a platform would ensure coordinated responses and sustained action to address SGBV cases comprehensively.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Benjamin Mensah