Gender
Sexual Assault Awareness Month …A call to action
Her mother noticed she was not bubbly as she used to when she returned from school on Friday afternoon.
Dzidzor kept to herself throughout the rest of the day and refused to have lunch or dinner with the family.
Before her mother went to bed, she went to see her daughter in her room only to see her soaked in her own tears and could not get out as she tried to help her out of bed.
Dzidzor’s mother called for help to lift her 13-year old daughter out of bed. And as her oldest son run into the room, Dzidzor passed out.
As they lifted her from the bed, they noticed she was soaked in blood.
Earlier on her way home, Dzidzor was ambushed and defiled by two of her seniors in school who had been making advances at her for the past four months.
Dzidzor’s story mirrors the plight victims of sexual assault go through and the need for parents, teachers, and non-governmental organisations to tackle the issue and its associated challenges heads on.
Globally the month of April is celebrated as the Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).
This year, the campaign would be marked on the theme ‘Together we act, united we change,’ and highlights the importance of working together to address and prevent sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month is an opportunity to listen to and honour survivors in our community and show those impacted by sexual violence that they are not alone.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines sexual violence as any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic or otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any.
According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), one in seven aged between 15-49 have experience sexual violence at some point in their lives according to the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS).
The report states that six per cent of women aged 15 and 49 experienced sexual violence within 12 months preceding the survey.
This finding is an indication of prevalence of human right abuse in the country which requires stringent measures to address.
It also mentioned that sexual violence can be experienced by every woman aged 15-49 years irrespective of one’s marital status; the proportions however, vary across different categories.
Over 53 per cent of women and over 29 per cent of men reported experiencing sexual violence (Chen, et al., 2023).
Sexual assault or violence impacts everyone and anyone can be a victim of sexual violence. People who commit such atrocities exist in communities.
Sexual violence is an umbrella term that includes any type of unwanted sexual contact including sexual abuse, assault, harassment, unwanted sexual contact or touching, exploitation and trafficking, exposing one’s genitals or naked body to other without consent, nonconsensual image sharing or coercion, words and actions of sexual nature against a person’s will and without their consent.
Sexual assault or violence can stem out of privilege and power, tolerance of abuse, unsatisfied sexual desires, patriarchal norms and corruption.
Everyone in each community, whether at the workplace, school, deserves to live in safe and supportive environments where they are treated with respect.
In tackling assault or violence, education is the first step to action. In education, empowering various communities to be part of the solution is key.
The Ghanaian Times newspaper reported that the Civic Education Officer of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Phebemary Makafui Adodo-Samani, has proposed the adoption of April as Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Ghana.
This according to her would help educate the public, especially children, about the devastating effects of sexual violence and promote a culture of consent.
“As the world observes April as Sexual Violence Awareness Month, I will urge Ghana to also adopt this international event as a national awareness campaign to raise awareness about sexual violence and abuse just like we do in October to raise awareness about Breast Cancer and it working positively,” she said.
Mrs Adodo-Samani made the call at a seminar organised by the Accra Technical University in partnership with “I Believe Global” in Accra last Friday to mark the International Women’s Day.
In March 2018, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore says it was committed to tackling all forms of sexual misconduct and sexual violence.
According to her, it continuously strives to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse and to improve the safety of the people, especially in settings where the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse rises.
She said UNICEF’s goal was always to be zero victims of sexual exploitation and abuse but said it was harder to address an unreported case than a reported case.
Ms Fore said it takes measures to protect those who report, to assist victims, to address the individual accountability of perpetrators, and to learn from mistakes.
“We have enhanced our investigation process to ensure that reports of sexual misconduct can be promptly investigated, even if the victim does not file a formal complaint,” she said.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, a Deputy Chief of Staff, has called for sustained legal and institutional reforms to address gender biases within Ghana’s justice system.
She urged women lawyers to build on the legacy of trailblazers who have shaped the country’s legal landscape.
Madam Bampoe Addo made the call at the maiden Biennial Conference of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) Women’s Forum, organised in collaboration with the Ghana School of Law in Accra on Tuesday.
The event was on the theme: “The role of women lawyers in national development: honouring trailblazers.”
Madam Bampoe Addo said the progress made by women in the legal profession was not accidental but the result of years of struggle, sacrifice and determination.
She paid tribute to early trailblazers such as Matilda Foster and Annie Jiagge, saying their achievements broke barriers and opened doors for generations of women lawyers.
She commended the contributions of female judicial leaders, including Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, Mrs Sophia Akuffo, and Mrs Gertrude Torkornoo, whose leadership reflected the growing influence of women in Ghana’s judiciary.
Women lawyers had made significant contributions across multiple sectors, including the courtroom, academia, policy development, civil society advocacy and community engagement.
Madam Bampoe Addo noted that their efforts had advanced gender equality, strengthened institutions and improved access to justice in the country.
She expressed concern about the persistent gender biases within the justice system, particularly in some judicial pronouncements that could undermine the dignity of women.
The courts, she noted, must not only deliver justice but must also communicate it in a manner that upheld respect and fairness for all parties.
“There is undervaluation of women’s unpaid domestic labour, including caregiving responsibilities, which are often overlooked in legal determinations, especially in matrimonial cases,” she added.
She called for a more progressive and context-sensitive approach to adjudication, drawing on comparative jurisprudence from other jurisdictions to ensure fairness and equity.
Madam Bampoe Addo urged legal practitioners and judges to build on progressive legal precedents and ensure that Ghana’s legal system evolved to reflect contemporary social realities.
She emphasised the importance of mentorship and inclusivity, encouraging women in leadership to create opportunities for others and support the next generation of female lawyers.
She called on young women to pursue legal careers with confidence, adding that the profession offered vast opportunities to contribute to national development.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Donkor, the Director-General of CID, said women lawyers played indispensable roles in shaping Ghana’s legal and governance systems.
They had excelled in various fields and occupied key leadership positions, contributing to policy reforms and championing justice for vulnerable groups, she added.
COP Donkor paid tribute to trailblazing women lawyers whose achievements continued to inspire and motivate younger generations to strive for excellence.
She urged students and young practitioners to go beyond academic successes and embrace the broader mission of promoting justice, fairness and societal transformation.
She encouraged more women lawyers to consider careers in the Ghana Police Service, describing law enforcement as a critical area where legal expertise was needed to strengthen justice delivery.
She commended the organisers of the conference for the success, saying it would encourage the next generation of women lawyers to continue to make significant contributions to Ghana’s development. – GNA
The Dzidula Pink Foundation has engaged expectant mothers on cervical cancer at a recent pregnancy clinic held at St Gregory Hospital, Budumburam in the Awutu Senya East District.
The engagement formed part of its advocacy on early cancer detection to safeguard maternal health.
It also formed part of the foundation’s broader mission to raise awareness about cancers affecting women, particularly at a time when many may be least likely to consider screening especially pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Addressing a gathering of pregnant women at the clinic, the president of the foundation, Ms Fafa Gozo, highlighted a worrying trend where a significant number of women are diagnosed with cancer around the time of delivery.
This, she noted, often results from delayed screening and limited awareness about the importance of early detection.
She educated the women about the need to prioritise their health by undertaking timely cancer screening, even while navigating the demands of pregnancy.
She reiterated that early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve treatment outcomes and reduce mortality.
“Pregnancy should not be a reason to delay screening. In fact, it is a critical period where heightened awareness can save lives,” Ms Gozo said.
The engagement also created a platform for open dialogue, allowing the expectant mothers to ask questions, share concerns, and receive guidance from health professionals present at the clinic.
Health experts at the facility echoed the foundation’s message, underscoring that routine checks and screenings, when done early, can lead to timely interventions and better health outcomes for both mother and child.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
