The Executive Director for the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA – Gh), Hajia Alima Sagito – Saeed has indicated that the rise of sexual violence in West African countries has been affecting women and girls’ employment.
According to her, rape, sexual assault and domestic violence are significantly under reported, especially in Ghana, which mostly affects police capacity to effectively investigate such cases for the perpetrators to be punished.
Hajia Alimah said this at the implementation of the Northern Tertiary Women Commissioners’ Convening and KASA Project entry in Tamale, which was also the launch of the project.
The KASA Project being implemented by SWIDA – GH and funded by African Women’s Development Fund(AWDF), connotes to ‘speak’ in the Twi language, which is helping push for an End to Sexual violence, aimed to create awareness on sexual violence as a violation of human rights.
The Project is targeting 200 women leaders at the various tertiary institutions and senior high schools in the northern region, to empower them on critical issues surrounding sexual and gender – based violence in the region and how they can amplify their voices in the fight against this canker.
As part of the project activities, SWIDA – GH and the students will organize radio and social media campaigns against sexual violence and sensitize healthcare professionals and law enforcement agencies to improve services for survivors of sexual violence and hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable.
The event was used to share perspectives on the menace and the role women and girls, as well as stakeholders can play in ending sexual violence in Ghana.
Hajia Alimah added that Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world, which undermines the health, dignity, security and autonomy of women and girls.
She called on authorities to put measures in place to take action in safeguarding women and children against sexual violence especially in the rural areas.
She also urged various actors from legislators and law enforcement, religious bodies, the media and gatekeepers of culture to play their roles as guarantors of the rights of women and girls, to support the government to prevent sexual violence acts in the country.
Northern Regional Coordinator of DOVVSU, DSP Emmanuel Holortu said less than 20 percent of the sexual violence victims report to law enforcement authorities, which is one of the many hindrances to curbing the menace of sexual violence in the country.
He therefore urged victims to report such cases to the police and cooperate during investigations.
The activity brought together female leaders in targeted educational institutions across Tamale, together with various actors, legislators to law enforcement, religious bodies, the media and gatekeepers of culture.
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