Empowering Change: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in the North

16-Day Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence Launched by Sung Foundation

On December 5th, the Sung Foundation initiated a impactful 16-day campaign focused on combating gender-based violence, emphasizing the critical need to safeguard women and girls within the Northern region.

The campaign took place in the Tolon District, aiming to educate communities about the nature of violence and the laws pertaining to sexual offenses. The theme for this campaign was: “Come Together, Act Now, Accelerate Action to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV).”

This program is driven by the dedicated team at the Sung Foundation and made possible through generous funding from the African Women’s Development Fund. Its primary goal is to enhance community awareness regarding sexual and gender-based violence, as well as child marriage issues.

Call to Action from Community Leaders

Mr. Inusah Iddrisu, Principal Investigator at CHRAJ, urged traditional and religious leaders to spearhead the movement against sexual and gender-based violence, domestic violence, and child marriage. He emphasized the need for leaders to collaborate in order to effectively prevent and respond to these pressing issues within their communities.

He remarked that violence against women and girls is a long-standing violation of human rights that demands immediate attention.

Calling for a cultural shift, he appealed to community members to reject the normalization of rape culture, which thrives on enduring gender inequalities and distorted views about gender and sexuality.

Pervasiveness of Gender-Based Violence

ASP Mrs. Vicentia Aboagye, Northern Regional Coordinator for the Domestic Violence Secretariat, highlighted the widespread nature of violence against women and girls, which is reinforced by structural misogyny and systemic inequality. She pointed out that while these issues affect everyone, women and girls remain disproportionately impacted.

Noting that most victims of sexual violence are women and girls, she expressed the importance of addressing the root causes of sexism to eliminate such forms of violence. According to her, community leaders must take action to ensure justice for survivors of sexual violence, emphasizing the need to report incidents to authorities promptly.

The Role of the Community

Madam Bushira, Acting Northern Regional Director for the Department of Gender, reiterated the urgent need to end sexual violence. She highlighted that marginalized groups are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and often face harsher interactions with the criminal justice system.

Madam Abdulai Wumbei, Social Welfare Officer at Tolon District, added that mutual respect among partners is vital to prevent violence. She stressed the importance of caring for children, especially girls, to shield them from potential sexual violence.