Violence against women and girls remains one of the most prevalent and pervasive human rights violations in the world. Globally, almost one in three women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life.
Violence against women and girls remains one of the most prevalent and pervasive human rights violations in the world. Globally, almost one in three women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life. Violence against women happens in every country and culture, causing harm to millions of women and girls. Risks and challenges to access care increase even more for women and girls living in humanitarian emergencies. Around the world today, prolonged and intense conflicts have resulted in a continuous rise in of all forms of gender-based violence.
In Ghana, statistics on gender-based violence reflect this global gloomy picture. According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), about 24.4% of women between 15-49 years’ experience intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. In addition, 19.2% of ever-partnered women aged 15-49 years’ experience intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence and 19.3% of women aged 20 to 24 years were first married or in union before their 18th birthday.
It is in view of the above staggering statistics that the Embassy in collaboration with the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service and Yenmaso Global Center for Mental Health hosted a panel conversation to address emerging issues in gender-based violence, leaning on the Israeli and Ghanaian experiences.
In his remarks, H.E. Roey Gilad raised concerns about the impact of gender-based violence on women in Israel especially during the October 7 Massacre. He stressed on the horrendous experiences of the women who were brutalized, raped and murdered by Hamas Terrorist during the massacre.
Speakers on the panel included ACP Owusuwaa Kyeremeh, Director, DOVVSU, Ghana Police Service; Ms. Rosemary Osei Dufie, Clinical Psychologist, Yenmaso Global Mental Health Center, and Mrs. Cecilia Avorkliyah, Lecturer and Research Fellow, University of Ghana. They all called on all stakeholders to UNiTE to End Violence against Women with a robust action plan.
This event is part of the activities the Embassy initiated to raise awareness in support of the 2024 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The 2024 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women marked the launch of the UNiTE campaign — an initiative of 16 days of activism concluding on the day that commemorates the International Human Rights Day (10 December).
