By Mavis Offei Acheampong
Adolescent girls are at the highest risk of physical, psychological, and sexual violence. According to UNICEF, before age 15, one out of every ten girls is sexually abused. The majority of these incidents go unreported for fear of the girl or the family being accused of encouraging the assault and disgracing their families.
Early marriage is viewed by some families as protecting girls from the social stigma that may result from having survived a rape that led to what is termed a “shameful pregnancy”.
Gender-Based Violence advocates demand more public awareness campaigns. They want girls and their families taught how to be assertive and demand justice. The GBV advocates also urge the government to establish support systems to protect and encourage abuse survivors as they seek legal redress.
Gender-Based Violence in Ghana thrives due to retrogressive cultural practices. A few reasons GBV persists are broken homes and home violence. Though culture frowns on these acts, it still does not allow the thorough punishment of perpetrators. Some of these cultural practices do not let the abuse be heard. In most Ghanaian communities, perpetrators of such abuses can be exposed by some community members, but the onus is on the family, who may want to seek redress or shelve the case for fear of being blamed.
Sexual abuse of women and girls increased last year due to the Covid-19 lockdowns. A UNICEF report indicates that in the past 12 months, 22% of teenage girls aged 13–19 nationwide have suffered sexual abuse. These figures are understated. Most girls do not report such cases either, because they fear reprisal from their families or threats from perpetrators. The fear of being blamed for the assault keeps the girls quiet.
Most sexually abused girls withdraw or avoid participating in activities at home or school until someone notices. Afi, not her real name, is Madam Comfort’s 13-year-old daughter. Her father sexually abused her. After that, Afi refused to visit him whenever she was sent to collect money for their upkeep. Madam Comfort and her husband separated a few years ago, and what she makes from her small business is not enough to cater for her daughter’s needs. Her husband has been supporting them, and at one time, Afi went to stay with him, and that is when he assaulted her.
Getting perpetrators apprehended and prosecuted takes too much time, and it took Madam Comfort almost three months to get her ex-husband charged for incest. Unlike Madam Comfort, many parents, particularly mothers, may not have the courage to persist or the resources to pursue the matter due to the unending back and forth at the police station or even in court.
The Director of Programs at the ‘Hope for Future Generation’ (HFFG), a non-governmental organization that works with child survivors of GBV, Mrs. Nancy Ansah, called for more support systems for abused girls.
Support systems for GBV include psychosocial help, providing shelter, or counseling survivors. They are how GBV survivors are able to reintegrate into society. For children, these support systems may vary from those for adults. While adult victims may have to be empowered to move out of their homes for shelter, children, on the other hand, may not have the same powers. Therefore, the abuse may continue unabated. Mrs. Nancy Ansah said vigorous criminal prosecution of incidents and the speedy prosecution of GBV cases could encourage more women and girls to report.
To encourage more GBV survivors to report assaults and to expedite the hearing of such cases, the Judiciary Services in Ghana has established 10 family-friendly courts across the Northern, Bono East, and Ashanti regions. The Greater Accra region has two such courts. These courts are designed to enable GBV survivors, particularly children, to testify in camera. Unlike other courts where hearings are public, the family courts provide child survivors of GBV to testify without coming face to face with their abusers. Other support mechanisms that child rights and GBV advocacy groups are demanding to be implemented include the provision of health-care programs that are safe, sensitive, confidential, and accessible.
Survivors of sexual abuse should also be provided with first-line support, psychological first aid, HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, and Hepatitis B immunization. Funding for legal aid for GBV survivors, which is currently underfunded, understaffed and of poor quality, should also be enhanced.
These interventions should adopt a survivor-centered approach in which survivors’ rights and wishes are respected, their safety is ensured, and they are treated with dignity and respect. Protecting their dignity empowers them to face life’s challenges. Ensuring perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes is the first step in the healing process.