Gender
Betrayal of trust: Understanding effects of abuse and assault on children
Mostly sexually abused victims are often abused by people they trust which can include family members, friends, acquaintances, or authority figures.
This makes it difficult for victims and the guardians to report the abuse or seek help as they may feel a sense of loyalty or obligation to the perpetrator.
Due to this sense of loyalty, many of such cases are either not reported to the police and are sometimes either settled at home with a little token as compensation or without it at all.
A typical case currently is that of Ransford, a 16-year-old footballer who is said to have been allegedly sodomised by the coach of his club, Siano Soccer Academy.
Unfortunately, Ransford died at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, after battling with severe illness which was as a result of the sexual abuse he had endured for the past three years.
Many of such cases occur and often remain hidden because of the person who committed the crime and also because victims do not believe the justice system.
Abuse of trust can have profound impact on victims, making them feel vulnerable, betrayed and powerless.
The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) exist to provide free services to members of the public; protect the rights of the vulnerable against all forms of abuse be it physical, sexual, emotional and psychological, socio-economic, or harmful cultural practices; establish an effective database for crime detection, prevention and prosecution.
The Unit also refer victims for medical services and specialised help to clinical psychologists; social workers from the Department of Social Welfare and counsellors attached to the Unit.
In February 2015, the government of Ghana approved its new Child and Family Welfare Policy which aims at preventing and protecting children from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The effects of sexual assault on children can have devastating, long-lasting and profound effects on the lives of victims and their loved ones.
These people abuse the trust to sexually exploit or assault minors. They groom, coerce, and deceive children and teens into committing sexual acts in person or online.
A report by the Ghana Statistical Service 2011 states that over 90 per cent of children report having experienced physical violence, both at home and in the school environment.
A paper on culture and nondisclosure of child sexual abuse in Ghana on behalf of the American Bar Foundation and authored by Kofi E. Boakye said the concept of patriarchy and its relation to rape and violence against women in general was given greater prominence.
It said further to the concept of patriarchy, and its excesses are false beliefs about (child) sexual abuse and its victims, also likely to negatively influence the disclosure of child abuse.
According to the paper, culture remains a crucial site for the construction and perpetuation of these misconceptions or false beliefs.
United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
According to the UNICEF the financial burden of child abuse in Ghana was estimated at more than USD 200 million per year or one per cent of Ghana’s GDP.
The estimated total number of children who have been physically or emotionally abused was noted at 3.4 million in Ghana.
According to UNICEF, issues that impede the prevention of violence against children include social norms, accepting and promoting the use of violence in schools, homes and other institutions as an effective way to manage the behaviour of children, laws permitting the use of “reasonable” punishment by parents against children.
Also insufficient allocation of resources to prevention and response programmes in all spheres, inadequate capacity of key government actors – including social workers, teachers, police, prosecution and courts – to prevent and respond
Other factors include lack of timely and continuous specialised management of child protection cases of violence, cultural practices inhibiting the ability of survivors of violence to come forward, and poor quality of care given to survivors of violence, which may put them to greater risk.
In 2015, UNICEF and its partners produced a Child Protection Community Facilitation Manual and toolkits containing games and activities that are designed to stimulate community reflection on child protection issues and encourage local action.
In November 2017, UNICEF with support from the Government of Ghana launched the ‘Ghanaians Against Child Abuse’ (GACA) campaign, which runs in line with the government’s Child and Family Welfare and Justice for Children policies that are helping to strengthen the child protection system in Ghana.
The campaign is using various channels including social media, traditional media, mobile theatre to create awareness on child abuse issues whilst mobilising national support to provide a safe and protective environment for children.
It is anticipated that this movement will help change the narrative of how Ghanaians protect their children.
Breaking the silence around sexual abuse and assault is crucial to preventing crimes and supporting victims.
Talking about assault has its advantages although it might be difficult for the victims to identify them.
Breaking the silence, victims talking about their experience, sharing their suffering, understanding what happened to them and the impacts on their lives and establishing relationships based on trust can contribute to giving them tools to regain their confidence.
Also education plays a crucial role in preventing any form of child sexual abuse when a child is educated on the effects of sexual abuse it arms then as well as their parents, trusted adults and educators with crucial information to keep kids safe either at home or online.
It empowers the children and their guardians with the knowledge and tools they need to protect themselves.
Also, the fight against child abuse or assault transcends borders and requires collaboration between law enforcement, non-governmental organisations, parents and educators, and the public at large.
There is therefore the need for partnerships to amplify the impact of abuse and assault on children and need for a coordinated response to fight a crime of child sexual abuse.
Across many farming communities in Northern Ghana, women routinely carry their infants on their backs while engaging in strenuous farm labour. This practice, though rooted in necessity and resilience, exposes both mothers and their babies to significant health risks, particularly musculoskeletal strain and developmental concerns.
For these women, the decision to take babies to the farm is rarely optional. It reflects the absence of affordable childcare, entrenched gender roles, and persistent economic pressures that compel women to combine farming, childcare, and household duties simultaneously.
Everyday Reality
In many rural communities in Northern Ghana, women begin their day before sunrise, balancing farm work with domestic responsibilities such as fetching water and firewood, cooking, and caring for children. Carrying infants on their backs, strapped with cloth, enables them to breastfeed and monitor their babies while going about their farming activities.
The use of outdated tools increases the risk of sprains and strains. Exposure to pesticides, extreme heat, and zoonotic infections further endanger women, especially those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Effects on Mothers
Dr. Enoch Harvoh, a Senior Medical Doctor at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, explained in an interview with GNA that the primary health risks stem from prolonged physical strain. He identified several key concerns, including musculoskeletal pain, postural changes, chronic fatigue, injury risk, and other hazards such women face.
Dr. Harvoh explained that musculoskeletal issues such as chronic lower back, upper back, neck, and shoulder pain are common among women who farm with babies on their backs. He added that back-carrying alters spinal alignment, increasing pelvic tilt and causing abnormal curvature of the spine, medically described as cervokypholordotic posture.
The combination of farming, domestic work, and childcare leads to severe physical exhaustion and stress, while frequent bending, squatting, and lifting further contribute to physical strain.
Effects on Infants
While back-carrying supports bonding and infant safety, prolonged exposure in farm environments presents risks to infants. These include:
- Lower limb development concerns
- Restricted movement and visual stimulation
- Potentially affected sensorimotor development
- Exposure to farm hazards including chemicals, machinery, and excessive heat
According to Dr. Harvoh, some studies link extended back-carrying to changes in leg alignment, such as genu valgum (knock-knees), though these are often within normal clinical limits.
Labour and Time Constraints
Women face chronic labour shortages, especially during peak farming seasons. Combined with unpaid domestic work and childcare, this creates extreme physical and mental strain.
Madam Saada Abdul, a farmer from Kpadjai in the Kpandai District, told GNA that she regularly carries her baby while weeding, harvesting, transporting crops, and cooking. “The work is very hard, and the baby’s weight adds to the pain in my back and waist. I hardly get time to rest compared to my husband,” she said.
Similarly, Madam Ramatu Iddris from the Nawuri community explained that women often prioritise labour on their husbands’ farms, reducing productivity on their own plots. Limited access to tractors, credit, extension services, and market information forces many women to rely on manual labour while carrying their babies.
These compounded challenges heighten women’s vulnerability to climate shocks such as drought, erratic rainfall, and economic downturns.
Intersecting Challenges
The practice of carrying babies to farms is embedded within broader structural inequalities. Customary inheritance systems largely favour men, leaving women with limited access to land. Many women farm on their husbands’ plots or borrow small, less fertile parcels of land, discouraging long-term investment and access to credit or extension services.
Women account for more than half of Ghana’s agricultural labour force, particularly in subsistence farming in the Northern Sector, yet much of their work remains informal and undervalued, with limited recognition in economic planning and policy frameworks.
Resilience and Coping Strategies
Despite these hardships, Northern women farmers demonstrate remarkable resilience. Common coping mechanisms include forming women’s farming groups to access training, credit, and inputs. Livelihood diversification, such as engaging in shea butter processing, poultry rearing, petty trading, charcoal production, and seasonal migration, can help supplement income.
Recommendations
Stakeholders in agriculture, health, and local governance must prioritise targeted interventions to reduce the physical burden on women farmers. Key recommendations include:
- Establishing community-based childcare centres to reduce the need to carry babies to farms
- Providing practical ergonomic training on safe lifting, posture, and culturally appropriate baby-carrying techniques
- Improving access to appropriate farm tools and small-scale mechanisation
- Strengthening workplace protections through rest breaks, access to potable water, and protective equipment
- Formally recognising women’s unpaid care and agricultural labour in national and district development planning
Health professionals also recommend targeted strengthening and stretching exercises for the lower back and pelvic muscles to mitigate long-term physical strain associated with combined farming and childcare responsibilities.
Conclusion
Women farmers are indispensable to Ghana’s food security and rural livelihoods. Yet their contributions come at a high personal cost due to systemic inequities, limited support services, and entrenched gender roles.
Addressing the health and productivity challenges faced by women who farm with babies on their backs is not only a matter of equity but a critical investment in national development, public health, and future generations.
—GNA
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A training and capacity-building workshop was held on Thursday for the media to intensify coverage on gender-based issues to support women’s participation in leadership and governance in Accra.
The workshop, held under the theme ‘Strengthening Advocacy for the Implementation of Ghana’s Affirmative Action (Equity) Law, 2024 – The Case of the Media’, brought together journalists from selected media houses.
The Convener of the Affirmative Action (AA) Law Coalition, Ms Sheila Minka-Premo (Esq.), stressed that the media has a critical responsibility to educate the public on the importance of the Affirmative Action Act, noting that sustained and informed reporting would strengthen advocacy and support the effective implementation of the law.
While commending both the Legislature and the Executive for the passage and presidential assent of the Affirmative Action Bill into law, the AA Law Coalition Convener appealed to government to address existing gaps. These include the constitutional provision of 30 per cent women’s representation in politics, inadequate policy frameworks to advance affirmative action, and weak compliance by state institutions.
She charged the media to highlight and promote the role of women in leadership and to actively support a smooth and effective implementation process of the Act.
In her welcome address, Executive Director of ABANTU for Development, Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, said the training sought to strengthen journalists’ advocacy skills to enable them to educate the public on the provisions and significance of the law.
Dr Mensah-Kutin commended ActionAid Ghana for supporting the advocacy efforts, urging the media to prioritise the law to ensure its sustainability.
The Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) was passed by Parliament in July 2024 and received presidential assent in September 2024, following years of sustained advocacy by women’s rights organisations, gender activists, and other stakeholders.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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