Traditional leaders have been urged to declare zero-tolerance for Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in their traditional jurisdictions by enacting and strictly enforcing bylaws against such acts.
Dr. Constance Akurugu, who made the call, said gender-based violence is much more normalised in the communities but if the people know that abusing their wives or children will attract sanction from the traditional council, they will stop.
Dr. Akurugu, a Gender Lecturer at the SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), said this in Wa during a stakeholder engagement forum on promoting positive social norms towards ending gender-based violence in the Upper West Region.
Madam Lois Aduamoah Addo, Programmes Manager of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), said though there were laws against SGBV, the high fees charged for medical examination of its survivors had been a major setback to the fight against the menace.
DSP Mr Adongo Apiiya, Upper West Region Coordinator, Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), observed that the issue of SGBV in the region was alarming and needed collective efforts of all to address.
He said the lack of support from survivors of SGBV to arrest and prosecute suspects of violence remained a challenge and inhibited the fight against the act. He, however, assured the people of getting justice when they reported such cases to the DOVVSU and assisted in investigations.
OXFAM organised the forum in partnership with WiLDAF, RUWA Ghana and the Upper West Regional Department of Gender as part of the implementation of the European Union (EU)-funded ENOUGH project.