Stakeholders in the Gushegu Municipality of the Northern Region have renewed their commitment to intensify collaboration and advocacy to reduce cases of sexual violence, spousal rape, and rape within the area.
The commitment was made at a stakeholders’ workshop, held at Gushegu to raise awareness, promote survivor-centred care, and strengthen coordination amongst key institutions responsible for preventing and responding to gender-based violence.
The workshop brought together representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Health Service, traditional authorities, community-based organizations, and women’s groups.
It was organised by the Pan African Organisation for Research (PAORP- VWC) with support from African Women Development Fund (AWDF).
Ms Amshanatu Seidu, Social welfare Officer, Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, speaking during the workshop, explained that sexual violence involved any sexual act carried out against a person’s will through force, coercion, manipulation, or abuse of power.
She noted that both men and women could experience sexual violence, adding perpetrators could be family members, acquaintances, or strangers.
She said acts such as rape, sexual assault, spousal rape, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation were all violations of human rights with severe physical, psychological, and social consequences.
Ms Seidu mentioned mental health issues, relationship conflicts, substance abuse, lack of education, and societal silence or stigma surrounding abuse as major contributing factors of sexual violence.
She called for a survivor-centred approach to support victims, emphasising that survivors had the right to information, medical care, counseling, non-discrimination, confidentiality, and legal protection.
She called for stronger collaboration amongst the Police, Health and Social Welfare services to ensure justice and reintegration for survivors.
Corporal Daniel Ediemu of the Ghana Police Service, Gushegu Division, outlined the legal framework for addressing sexual violence and spousal rape emphasising that spousal rape was a criminal offense punishable under the law.
He reiterated the Police’s commitment to handling such cases with professionalism and sensitivity using trauma-informed approaches in investigations and survivor interactions.
He underscored the need for timely reporting, evidence collection, and collaboration amongst law enforcement, health facilities, and social welfare institutions to ensure accountability and justice for survivors.
He said, “Building a community that values justice and respect requires all institutions; traditional, legal, and social, to work together. Sexual violence is not a private issue but a collective societal concern.”
Mr Mohammed Hamid, a representative from the Ghana Health Service, highlighted the connection between sexual and reproductive health and the prevention of sexual violence.
He explained that maintaining good reproductive health involved regular medical check-ups, healthy nutrition, physical exercise, and access to family planning services.
He added that sexual and reproductive health education helped individuals make informed decisions and reduced vulnerability to abuse, especially amongst women and young girls.
Participants discussed the importance of creating safe spaces for reporting and supporting survivors, conducting continuous education campaigns, and challenging cultural practices that normalized sexual abuse and silence victims.
Key resolutions from the workshop included strengthening institutional coordination, promoting community awareness, enhancing access to survivor support services, and enforcing existing laws against perpetrators.
They also called on community leaders, religious figures, and civil society groups to play proactive roles in preventing sexual violence and supporting victims in their path to recovery.