Violence Against Women
Source: Spy Ghana
The Minister for Gender, children and social protection, Hon. Nana Oye Lithur, has said violence against women must be a priority for all men and women who are committed to contributing to the development of their societies. She made this known at a press briefing on 16 days activism against gender-based violence for elimination of violence against women in Accra.
Nana Oye said that, its women faced a terrible toll of violence, adding that countries affected by conflict, as many as two-thirds of women had experienced sexual or physical violence or harassment and across the continent, violence of all forms undermined human and economic development.
She said development was quantifiable far beyond the financial bottom line, and there could be no wellbeing when inequality, discrimination and gender based violence existed.
“Sexual violence and subordination of women diminishes their ability to protect themselves from HIV-AIDs, sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy. Rape has continued to be used against women in situations of conflict on our continent, and their aftermath” he said.
The Minister said she is devoted to the promotion of inclusive development in Africa for women and men, young and old, for rural and urban communities and for most fragile states as well as the most robust.
She explained that the ministry will worked in partnership with ministry of local government, civil society organizations and businesses to bring about a world which was not just rid of violence, but which ensured and then celebrated equality of opportunity and treatment for women as for men.
“My ministry has setting up service centers where women could access, free of charge, social, health, legal and economic services.” she added.
The governments which had established the institutions often inadequately funded and staffed to make the vision a reality, adding that, it would continue to argue that woman’s equality and opportunity before the law was the shared responsibility of governments and peoples alike.