Investing Our Decades of Experience of Work to Challenge the Social Norms and Attitudes that Promote GBV in the Northern and Upper West Regions of Ghana

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global human rights violation that affects women and girls of all ages, backgrounds, and contexts. GBV refers to any act of violence that is directed at an individual based on their biological sex, gender identity, or perceived adherence to socially defined norms of masculinity and femininity. GBV includes physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence, as well as harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage.

GBV has serious and long-lasting consequences for the health, well-being, dignity, and empowerment of women and girls, as well as for the development and peace of their communities and countries. GBV is prevalent and persistent in Ghana, especially in the northern and upper west regions, where poverty, illiteracy, patriarchy, and cultural norms create conducive environment for violence against women and girls.

RUWA-Ghana is a non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect the rights of women and girls in Ghana, especially in the northern and upper west regions. We have decades of experience of work in challenging the social norms and attitudes that promote GBV in our regions, and we want to share our knowledge and skills with you. We invite you to join us in our ‘UNiTE campaign’, which is part of the Global 16 Days of Activism against GBV, and which has the theme: “Investing our Decades of Experience of Work to Challenge Social Norms and Attitudes that Promote GBV in the Northern and Upper West Regions so as to Prevent Violence against Women and Children”.

The 16 Days of Activism against GBV is a global campaign that aims to raise awareness and mobilize action to end violence against women and girls. The campaign runs from November 25, 2023, a day which is specifically dubbed as the ‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women’, to December 10, 2023, which is specifically dubbed the ‘Human Rights Day’. Each year, the campaign has a different theme and focus, and various events and activities are organized around the world to highlight specific issues and call for solutions.

This year, as part of our ‘UNiTE campaign’, we will carry out the following activities during the 16-Day period (November 25, 2023 to December 10, 2023) in the northern and upper west regions of Ghana, mainly on social media platforms, except for the last activity which will be done in the field:

• November 25, 2023: Launching of our social media campaign to challenge the social norms and attitudes that promote GBV on women and children in the northern and upper west regions, and to prevent violence against women and children. We will leverage on the global hashtags, posters, videos, and stories to raise awareness and to sensitize the public on the issue of GBV as well as the importance and benefits of preventing and eliminating GBV. We will also engage with our followers and supporters, and encourage them to join us in our campaign and to share their views and experiences.

• November 26, 2023: The organization will showcase its OSIWA project’s result of 2019 which encouraged women’s participation in district assembly elections and also challenged the social norms that restrict women’s participation in politics. We will share with our audients the achievements and impact of the project which supported thirty women in four districts of the northern region of Ghana in capacity building on communication skill, public speech, assertiveness and confidence building to run for the district assembly elections of December 2019. The women were able to overcome the barriers and that prevent them from participating in politics. We will also share with you the stories and the lessons of the women who participated in the project and how it has contributed to preventing the women from GBV in politics.

• December 1, 2023: The organization will advocate against stigmatization of women and children living with HIV/AIDS, promote their rights and well-being. We will use facts, statistics, and testimonies to educate and inform the public on the issue of HIV/AIDS, and on the link between GBV and HIV/AIDS. As GBV increases women and girls’ vulnerability to HIV infection, and HIV-positive women and girls also increase. They face stigmatization, discrimination and violence. We will also use messages of solidarity, support, and empowerment to inspire and motivate women and children living with HIV/AIDS. We will also urge the public to respect and protect them.

• December 2, 2023: We will send out messages from RUWA-Ghana staff on ending contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, and sexual exploitation. We will use personal stories, opinions, and reflections to express our views and feelings on the issue of modern slavery and on how it affects the lives and rights of women and girls in our regions. We will also use calls to action, appeals, and recommendations to urge the public to join us in our fight against modern slavery and to demand justice and accountability from the perpetrators of modern slavery.

• On December 9, 2023: We will carry out a gender-responsive anti-corruption campaign in three communities in the northern region of Ghana. We will organize community dialogue in churches and mosques to sensitize and discuss the issue of corruption and how it impacts the development and peace of our communities, especially, women and girls. We will also distribute posters, flyers, and banners to illustrate and display messages aimed at raising awareness as well as mobilizing action to fight corruption. The campaign will also canvas support to strengthen the institutions and mechanisms that ensure the existence of transparency, accountability, and integrity.

We invite you to join us in our ‘UNiTE campaign’ and to support our activities and initiatives to challenge the social norms and attitudes that promote GBV in the northern and upper west regions of Ghana.

We believe that together we can make a difference in the lives of women and girls as well as the development and peace of our communities, districts, regions and the country at large.

For more information and updates on our ‘UNiTE campaign’, please visit our website or follow us on social media. You can also contact us at: RUWA-Ghana, City Plaza, 070 Nyohini Road, Tamale, Ghana. Thank you for your interest.