The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in collaboration with its Development Partners (DPs) have climaxed the 16 Days Activism against Gender-Based Violence with an Award Ceremony on Tuesday, 6th December 2022 in Accra.
The event dubbed; “UNITE! Activism to end Violence against Women and Girls”, is an International campaign that runs between 25th November and 10th December every year.
The Award Ceremony sought to acknowledge Change Makers in the fight against Gender-Based Violence in Society.
Fifteen (15) GBV advocates across the country were awarded for their tremendous fight and advocacy against GBV issues in society.
They were awarded a plaque and a tabletop refrigerator.
A keynote address delivered by the Deputy Minister/ Minister Designate of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Lariba Zuweira Abudu (MP), thanked the Development Partners, and Stakeholders for their support in the celebration of the 2022 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.
According to her, Gender-Based Violence such as an intimate Partner Violence, Female Genital Mutilation, Harmful Widowhood Rights, Child Marriages, and Forced Marriage among others have deep cultural and religious routes in the country.
Thus, some women have been brainwashed to accept that it is normal to be abused by their husbands.
‘This shows the lack of empowerment and support from communities to speak and act against these abuses’, she added.
Hon. Zuweira Abudu indicated that the Ministry is reviewing its Legal Frameworks such as the Domestic Violence Act and the Legislative Instrument, the National Domestic Violence Policy and the National Gender Policy in order to respond to the abuses’ affecting the vulnerable.
She announced that over Eighty (Market Executives have been empowered with basic knowledge in legal Frameworks to respond to and assist survivors at the markets and various communities since the concept of Paralegals was introduced in 2019.
‘The concept is intended to be replicated to all the regions in the country’, she said.
The Minister Designate, therefore, charged all to prevent all forms of abuses’ before they escalate in the various communities.
In her welcome address, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Afisah Zakariah commended the Development Partners, Organisations and individuals for doing well in the areas of prevention, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration.
She called on all to strengthen the fight against Domestic and Gender-Based Violence in order to achieve Zero Tolerance for GBV.
The UN Resident Coordinator/ Head of UN Systems, Mr Charles Abani on his part pledged their continuous support to the Government and the Ministry to improve responses on issues of Gender-Based Violence
He encouraged all to speak against any form of Domestic violence against all especially, women, girls and the vulnerable.
