GENDER DEPARTMENT ORGANIZES REFRESHER TRAINING ON SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

ActionAid Ghana in collaboration with the Department of Gender organised a refresher training for young women (known as the young urban movement) in Sunyani on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) on the 28^th of February 2023 at the Regent Resort Hotel, Sunyani. This formed part of their annual review and reflection meeting for the movement.

The movement members were drawn from communities in the region such as Abesim ,Tanoso ,Tanoano , Nkrakrom ,Nsoatre  and Sunyani. The occupations of this young lady’s ranges from teachers, nurses, apprentices, school dropouts, JSH leavers and SHS leavers.

The young urban women movement is a group of young women who are being nurtured by ActionAid and the Department of Gender to take roles to speak up on issues affecting young women in society such as sexual and gender-based violence issues, livelihood empowerment, how to be assertive etc.

Address by ActionAid Ghana

In an opening statement, the Regional Programmer of ActionAid in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions, Kwame Afram Denkyira indicated that it is important for the young women to work together to address their issues and concerns. He said ActionAid is providing the needed support to empower and build the capacity of the young women to contribute to reducing gender-based violence in the informal and formal sectors. 

He indicated that violence and its related issues have contributed in affecting the development of women in leadership roles and economic empowerment. He said the refresher training on gender-based violence is key to support the young women to understand issues of violence and how they can build their assertiveness to report cases of violence against them and seek justice.

Presentation and discussions on gender-based violence

The Regional Director of Gender of Madam Joycelyn Adii took the   ladies through the following:

• The meaning of violence and gender-based violence
• The root causes and consequences of sexual and gender-based violence
• The prevention, response and the reporting mechanisms available in the Ghana

The ladies were tasked to keep sensitizing people in their various communities and also serve as ambassadors in their communities.