Mrs Esther Annor, the Deputy Director of Administrative Justice, Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has urged women and girls to disclose all types of violence against them.
She said violence against women and girls, which was becoming prevalent in almost every home in the country, was a violation of human rights and must not be condoned.
Mrs Annor was speaking at a media training on issues related to violence against women and girls in Ghana.
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The workshop was funded by the United Nations (UN) WomenTrustFund and coordinated by Inrela Ghana, a group of religious leaders living with HIV and AIDS.
It educated journalists about how to report on women’s rights and the experiences of survivors of abuse in an ethical manner.
Mrs Annor stated that every human being, regardless of gender, is entitled to human rights and urged women and girls to fight for their rights at all times.
She highlighted the value of society helping those who are victims of violence in order to ensure their safety and well-being, adding that abuse can take several forms.
“Violence against women and girls in Ghana takes many forms in many ways rooted in social, cultural, and economic traditions, from the workplace to homes,” Mrs Annor said, urging concerted efforts to put an end to it.
According to Mrs Mercy Acquah-Hayford, Country Coordinator for Inrela Ghana, the workshop was part of a three-year project that began in 2010 to raise awareness about the need to end and eliminate stigma against abused people.
The project, she said, was being introduced in three Accra communities: Chorkor, James Town, and Nima. Acquah-Hayford said the project would involve men in the chosen communities and educate them on the importance of protecting women and girls and refraining from abusing them.
Violence against women, especially intimate partner violence and sexual violence, is a major public health issue and a violation of women’s human rights, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to WHO estimates, approximately one-third (30%) of women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner abuse or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
