BONO GENDER DEPARTMENT MARKS 2025 “16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE”

The Bono Regional Director of the Department of Gender, Mrs. Joycelyn Adii, has highlighted ongoing challenges facing women and girls in Ghana, revealing that approximately 32 percent of girls aged 15 to 24 consider “wife beating” justifiable. She referenced findings shared during a forum on 27th November 2025, noting that a 2016 domestic violence survey also indicated that 27.7 percent of Ghanaian women have experienced at least one form of violence.

According to Mrs. Adii, harmful traditional norms and outdated cultural practices continue to impede the holistic development of women and girls. She called for stronger stakeholder collaboration to eliminate these practices and create safer, more supportive environments for females across the country.

She delivered these remarks at an event held in Abesim, near Sunyani, as part of the nationwide commemoration of the 2025 “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign. Each year, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) leads the campaign to raise awareness and encourage collective action to end violence against women and girls.

This year’s forum, organized by the Bono Regional Office of the Department of Gender with support from ActionAid Ghana (AAG), was held under the theme “The Role of the Community in Protecting Women and Girls.” The session aimed to intensify education on the various forms of gender-based violence and mobilize stakeholders toward coordinated efforts to address the issue. Participants included civil society organizations, security services, political party representatives, and women and youth groups.

Mrs. Adii noted that gender-based violence has wide-reaching consequences, stressing that: “When a woman is beaten, when a girl is assaulted, when a child is mistreated, the entire community feels the impacts because families are broken, children are traumatized, productivity declines, and poverty deepens.” She added that the issue extends beyond private spaces, describing it as a human rights concern, a public health challenge, and a major barrier to national development.

She further pointed out that violence manifests in multiple settings—including homes, schools, markets, and increasingly in digital spaces. Mrs. Adii expressed particular concern about the rise in online abuse, including cyberstalking, non-consensual sharing of images, body-shaming, threats, and harassment, noting that such digital violence has severe implications for victims’ dignity, mental health, and opportunities.

Mr. Kwame Afram Denkyira, the Bono Regional Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana, underscored the urgency of addressing violence against women and girls, describing it as one of the most pervasive human rights violations with significant consequences for individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole.