Cultural norms encourage gender-based violence in Upper West Region - Dr. Constance Awinpoka Akurusu

By: Rafiq Nungor Adam

In a recent address at the Upper West Regional Women's Forum in Wa Municipal, Dr. Constance Awinpoka Akurusu, a Senior lecturer at the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), highlighted the concerning prevalence of gender-based violence.

She emphasized that this issue is deeply rooted in cultural norms that both accept and tolerate the abuse of women.

Dr. Akurusu's remarks were made during an event organized by the Network for Women’s Rights (NETRIGHT) in collaboration with the Noble Care Foundation.

She noted that gender-based violence is a global concern, of which Ghana is no exception.

However, according to her, the Upper West Region seems to grapple with this issue more profoundly due to cultural norms that perpetuate it.

"Women are often regarded as inferior, subservient to men, and gender-based violence is embedded within this cultural context of receptivity and tolerance for abuse," Dr. Akurusu stated.

She highlighted various forms of violence, including forced marriages, widowhood marriages, rape, economic violence, and emotional abuse, which women endure.

She also noted that these issues are often considered taboo, confined to the private sphere, and rarely discussed openly.

On the sidelines of the forum, Charity Bature, the Regional Director of the Department of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, encouraged women to step out of their comfort zones and occupy the spaces that their male counterparts do, advocating for justice and equality.

The Women's Forum, held under the theme "Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: Empowering Women for Social and Economic Progress in the Upper West Region," was organized by NETRIGHT in partnership with the Noble Care Foundation.

It brought together various groups of women and women-centered organizations to discuss the practical challenges they face in their work on women's rights and empowerment, offering solutions to these challenges.

Dr. Jane-Frances Lobnibe, a Senior Lecturer at SD. Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies and the Regional focal person for NetRight, recommended that the government facilitate access to loans and financial support for women in the region.

She emphasized the disproportionate impact of economic crises on women, citing the recent banking sector crisis, which severely affected women and women-related businesses, leading to economic disempowerment.

NETRIGHT, a network of civil society organizations and individuals, is dedicated to promoting women’s rights in Ghana.

Its mission involves critically analyzing the gender dimensions of national processes, programs, and policies while advocating for gender-transformative reforms that strengthen women’s human rights.

Their vision is of a society that places equal importance on how national processes, policies, and practices impact both Ghanaian men and women.