Ghana | Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre
The COMBAT model developed over a decade ago by the Gender Centre as part of a rural response to VAWG has been implemented in over 20 communities in different regions of Ghana. Community Based Action Teams (COMBAT), with equal representation of men and women, will be selected and trained on types, causes and impact of VAW, family laws, conflict resolution, advocacy and counselling.
This flyer presents key findings of research undertaken by ISSER in collaboration with National University of Ireland, Galway, International Center for Research on Women, and Ipsos MORI with funding from UK Department for International Development. The research design includes nationally representative survey of 2002 women aged 18-60 across the 10 regions of Ghana, qualitative research including focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews, and survey of 805 employees (391 female and 414 male employees) across 100 businesses in Accra and Kumasi.
When the Gender Centre conceptualized its Nkyinkyim Anti-violence Project/Rural Response System, it recognized the need to put together a comprehensive training programme for its partners to ensure a full understanding of violence against women in order to be able to respond effectively to victims of violence in those communities where its partners operated. The training programme was also intended to train other civil society organisations as well as state agencies such as the Police, health and social welfare personnel and indeed all stakeholders who interacted with victims of violence in any way. The manual has been the main resource for training of our COMBAT members.
If you would like to get access to the full curricula please email Dorcas Coker-Appiah at d.cokerappiah@gendercentreghana.org
Alangea, D. O., Addo-Lartey, A. A., Sikweyiya, Y., Chirwa, E. D., Coker-Appiah, D., Jewkes, R., & Adanu, R. M. K. (2018). Prevalence and risk factors of intimate partner violence among women in four districts of the central region of Ghana: Baseline findings from a cluster randomised controlled trial. PloS one, 13(7), e0200874.
In Ghana, violence against women and girls is widespread. Recent estimates indicate that 28% of women report at least one form of violence in the past year and 45% report experiencing violence at some point in their lifetime. COMBAT (Community Based Action Teams) is a rural response strategy that aims to (i) reduce the incidence of VAWG in rural communities in Ghana, (ii) protect women’s rights via state and community structures; and, (iii) raise public awareness about the causes and consequences of VAWG. This evidence suggests that community-led evidence-based interventions supported by local actors (e.g. traditional and religious leaders) are uniquely placed to support prevention of, and response to, VAWG in this context.
Chirwa, E. D., Sikweyiya, Y., Addo-Lartey, A. A., Alangea, D. O., Coker-Appiah, D., Adanu, R. M., & Jewkes, R. (2018). Prevalence and risk factors of physical or sexual intimate violence perpetration amongst men in four districts in the central region of Ghana: Baseline findings from a cluster randomised controlled trial. PloS one, 13(3), e0191663.
An assessment of the economic and social impact of VAWG in Ghana, including details of the sample size and methodology involved. Findings point to VAWG resulting in a diminished sense of safety in the community, a reduction in social cohesion, and losses for women’s leadership, leading to negative implications for women and their communities.
The What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls Global Programme has carried out research to better understand how to prevent violence against women and girls living with disabilities, who are at an increased risk of violence, abuse, neglect, maltreatment and exploitation. Women and girls with disabilities also face additional pressures because they are regarded as unable to meet the social roles and expectations on women and girls to attract men, marry, bear children, or care for families. This can result in further social exclusion, which may contribute to development of depression or other mental illness, in addition to increasing their physical and economic vulnerabilities. While the evidence base is limited, this evidence brief identifies promising strategies to prevent violence against women girls with disabilities.
This working paper is an introduction to the analysis of the social and economic impacts of violence against women and girls in Ghana. This is a three-year multi-country project that estimates the costs of VAWG, both social and economic, to individuals and households, businesses and communities, and states. It breaks new ground in understanding the impact of VAWG on community cohesion, economic stability and development, and will provide further evidence for governments and the international community to address violence against women and girls globally. This paper outlines the nature of VAWG in Ghana, and the social and economic context in which it occurs. It begins with an introduction to the status of women in Ghana, and the prevalence and types of VAWG. It explores the various contexts that are affected by violence: economic, social and political, and discusses the action that has been taken to address violence to date. It goes on to identify some literature on the costs of violence to society and the economy, and to highlight the gaps in the literature, which this project aims to fill.
A study to assess the community level impact of the Gender Centre’s Rural Response System in reducing VAW in Ghana. This presentation features methodology demographics and results, looking at IPV statistics and the prevalence of different forms of IPV.