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Ghana Deepens Fight Against Gender-Based Violence with National Men’s Conference
Ghana has taken a significant step to strengthen its response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) with the organisation of a National Men’s Conference on Positive Masculinity. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The conference brought together policymakers, Members of Parliament, traditional and faith leaders, transport unions, civil society organisations, development partners, academia, and the media to examine the critical role of men in building a just, safe, and equitable society.
Addressing participants, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, underscored the central role of men and boys in ending sexual and gender-based violence. She explained that promoting positive masculinity benefits both men and women by challenging harmful norms that limit emotional expression, fuel violence, and create unsafe conditions in homes and communities.
Dr. Lartey highlighted key government-led initiatives aimed at advancing gender equality, including the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, the Social Protection Act, Men and Boys Clubs, mentorship programmes, Domestic Violence Response Centres in markets, and digital support platforms such as the Orange Support Centre and the Boame App.
According to her, the conference was designed to spark a nationwide conversation on rethinking masculinity. “Positive masculinity empowers men to lead with empathy, responsibility, and respect, helping to build safer families and peaceful communities,” she stated.
The UNFPA Resident Representative, Dr. Wilfred Ochan, commended the Government of Ghana for championing a dialogue that aligns with UNFPA’s global male engagement agenda. He noted that deeply rooted cultural, religious, and traditional norms could be transformed to promote dignity, equality, and shared responsibility between men and women.
Representing the Chief of Staff, the Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Bodies, Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, described gender-based violence as a serious threat to national cohesion, stressing that every act of abuse weakens the moral fabric of the nation. He clarified that the conference was not about blaming men, but about inspiring them to become protectors, peacemakers, and positive role models.
“When men speak up, cultures shift. When men choose respect, households transform,” he said.
By Spectator Reporter
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Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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