In 2020, a 90-year-old woman, Madam Denteh, was publicly lynched to death in the Savannah region in Ghana after being accused of witchcraft. The video of the lynching went viral and attracted police and national security investigations, resulting in the arrest of some of the perpetrators. Like in many parts of the world, a belief in sorcery and witchcraft still exists in Ghana, and accusations of witchcraft are followed by social stigma and discrimination. While both men and women have been accused of witchcraft, the accused are disproportionately women. In some cases, they have been murdered and mobbed following allegations of witchcraft against them. This is the incredible story of communities in Ghana as active funders of human rights issues and using community philanthropy to challenge age-old stigmas. Follow “The Women Who Stood up for Witches in Northern Ghana” to read the full inspiring story as captured by Shift the Power.
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Friday, December 09, 2022
Promoting community-led approaches to end sexual and gender-based violence - Traditional, opinion leaders urged to lead discussions
With studies proving that victims of SGBV normally are skeptical about reporting to formal institutions such as the police and health services, these community leaders have been urged to help with education and sensitization at that level.
The Head of Programmes at STAR-Ghana Foundation (SGF), Miss Eunice Racheal Agbenyadzi, at a forum organized by the Foundation to mark this year’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence in Cape Coast, appealed to the community leaders to drive such discussions.
She said the discussions have reinforced the need to have more of such conversations on how to end SGBV.
“I am extending an invitation to our traditional leaders to help organize such conversations next time so that you will be in the driver’s seat, and we support you. SGF wants to as much as possible see people who are at the core of an issue driving it,” she said.
She also called on the traditional leaders and local authorities to enforce community bye-laws that promote girls’ education and punish violence and abuse of women and girls.
Over the past decade and more, there have been efforts at the national level to respond to challenges faced by women and girls including the different forms of SGBV.
While these efforts have yielded some positive results, the menace persists. The prevalence of SGBV calls for renewed activism, advocacy at various levels, and urgent actions to address the problem.
Monday, December 05, 2022
Include treatment of victims of all Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence under the NHIS
A forum by STAR-Ghana Foundation (SGF), to mark this year’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence in Cape Coast, has called on government to include treatment of victims of all Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
It emerged that among the major setbacks to the fight against SGBV is the inability of victims to pay for medical examinations and police reports that will assist in dealing with the perpetrators. Other setbacks include cultural beliefs and stigmatization which continue to pose challenges for victims of SGBV. The Head of Programmes at SGF, Eunice Racheal Agbenyadzi, said the forum was the Foundation’s flagship event because there have been ongoing activities to mark the 16 Days of Activism. She said SGF has launched a social media campaign where it is sharing information and asking people to share their opinions around how women and girls can better be protected from /against all forms of violence.