On the 26th of September, 2024 the Department of Gender organized a community engagement initiative aim to achieve improved outcomes for human rights interventions dealing with major SGBV challenges. Including Child Marriage, as well as addressing gender equality.
Against this backdrop, the Department of Gender under the auspices of the Ministry ofGenger Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) and the Central Regional Coordinating Council (CRCC) with support from United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) organized community advocacy sessions for men and boys in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA) municipality in the Central Region.
The advocacy session was aimed to:
- empower local community leaders, men and boys with the requisite information needed to improve awareness creation and reporting of SGBV, CM and to address gender inequality cases.
- educate men and boys on the importance of gender equality and the rights of girls.
- end all forms of violence against women and girls and sensitize men and boys on the position of the laws on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The participants were sensitized on Adolescent Sexual Rights and Health (ASRH), SGBV, Gender Equality and Child Marriage. Queen Mothers, Assembly Members, the Regional Director of Department of Gender and her staff and a representative from CRCC took part in the programme.
Nana Abena Botwe III thanked the Regional Director of the Department of Gender, teachers and students for their time. She further stated that the rate at which the young boys are being jailed as a result of rape and defilement was intense, that is the reason the Queen Mother invited the Department of Gender to educate them. She urged them to pay attention and learn since it will benefit them. “Ignorance of the law is no excuse” she added.
The Regional Director of Department of Gender Ms. Richlove Amamoo commencing with her presentation made an appeal to every male present to pay attention to what she had to say, because, it was a pressing issue on the Queen Mother’s heart. Ms. Richlove explained her status as the Director of Department of Gender, Central Region whose responsibility is for the wellbeing and protection of every male and female (both young and old) within her jurisdiction. She shared her experience from DOVVSU, precisely the sexual and gender-based violence Court, where some men are being sent to jail while the boys, to the borstal institute.
The rulers of the land saw the need to consult her, she said, their concern was that, they couldn’t sit aloof and observe these unfortunate developments affect their youth. Therefore, sought her help to sentitise the youth on the laws on sexual and gender-based violence issues. She used the opportunity to introduce to them a club, ‘Boys Safe Space’, with the slogan ‘Combating Gender-based Violence and Discrimination’. She applauded the efforts of the Chiefs and the Queen Mothers in finding solutions to these menace.
“The 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the Children’s Act 560 1998, defines a child as any person below the ages of 18 years. This meant that if you are not 18 years, you are still considered a child” she said. She asked again if anyone knew what defilement meant. An SHS student gave the answer as having a sexual intercourse with a person below 18 years. A member of Boys Safe Space said the right answer as having a sexual intercourse with a person below 16 years with or without his or her consent. The Regional Director explained further that if one forcibly had sex or had an agreed sexual encounter with a person below 16 years is temred as defilement. And the consequence of this act is a jail term of between 7 and 25 years.
She said, according WHO, a person below 16 years is not mature enough to make decisions for him/herself. And at that point, it would not matter how broken one is emotionally. A sentence will be metered of regardless, but the judge may exercise his or her discretion on the number of years to be incarcerated. Which also means that ignorance of the law is no excuse. She entreated them to abstain from the act of defilement from that day onwards in order not to find themselves wanting.
Ms. Richlove narrated a case in 2022, where an SHS graduate who had lost both parents and was living with his elder sister and a girl noticing the absence of the elder sister decided to visit this said SHS graduate. The girl tried everything to lure the boy into having a sexual episode. The boy refused initially but couldn’t resist the temptation and eventually had an affair with the girl. The girl’s parents who knew the law of defilement caused his arrest the following day. The boy stood trial on the third day and he denied the knowledge of defilement, and that he asked the girl to leave, but she was adamant. The girl who was brought to the court, but was screened from the public, confirmed what the boy said was true. But for his honesty, he was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.
With the criminal libel law, a 12 year old can be arrested once a crime has been committed, the Regional Director stated such cases were tried at the juvenile court, she said depending on the crime, the offender is sent to the borstal institute. She analysed that the laws seemed to favour the girls in a way, because boys are the ones who penetrate when erected. The need for these sensitization.
The Pledge-Below 16 years
- With the support of Philip Owusu stood on behalf of colleagues from Edinaman Senior High School and pledged that they will stand against anything that will course the boys into defilement and will sensitise their colleagues on the law of rape and defilement. The students promised to desist any relationship with a person below the age of 16 years.
Achievements.
- Majority of the participants were ignorant when it comes to gender based violence issues but after the programme they have been enlightened.
- The participants pledged that they will stand against anything that will course the boys into defilement and also advocate against SGBV.
Wayforeward
- The Department of Gender will internsify education on SGBV, CM and Gender Equality