ActionAid reduces violence against girls in Nanumba districts
ActionAid Ghana and Songtaba, two non-governmental organisations have made great strides in reducing violence against girls in school in the Nanumba North and Nanumba South districts, thereby increasing school enrolment and academic performance.
Mrs Harriet Lamptey, National Coordinator of Stop Violence Against Girls in School (SVAGS) of ActionAid-Ghana made this known when she presented a research finding of the project in Tamale at the weekend.
She said SVAGs had achieved an average target of 72 per cent reduction in violence against girls.
The dissemination workshop was attended by stakeholders of the project, which is folding up after almost five years of implementation.
She said ActionAid Ghana in collaboration with Songtaba implemented the SVAGS project from 2008 to 2013 with the aim of strengthening the capacities of pupils particularly girls to beware of their rights and defend them when being violated.
She observed that at the time the intervention started, a baseline survey was conducted in the two districts and it was revealed that forced marriages, violence against girls, sexual harassments and other violations were high.
Mrs Lamptey said the average violence level had reduced by 50.9 per cent from the baseline level thus meaning the project target of 50 per cent was achieved.
The enrolment rate increased by 20 per cent between three years of the project implementation, while school dropout reduced by 63 per cent, which far exceeded the national target of 20 per cent.
“Overall achievement as regards ‘girls’ capacity to demonstrate confidence to challenge the culture of violence in and around schools…improved from 56 per cent in year one to 68 per cent in year four.”
Mrs Lamptey noted that issues relating to corporal punishment and sexual harassment still remained a bottleneck within the districts.
Alhaji Mohammed Saani, Deputy Country Director of ActionAid Ghana said the achievements chalked out would be replicated in other areas.
He challenged the law enforcement agencies to ensure that the laws of the country are applied to punish wrong doers.
Mr Adam Baani, Anti Corruption Officer of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice in the Northern Region, expressed worry that the country is still experiencing violence against women.
He advised the public should not to be oblivious of the law but respect the fundamental human rights of women and girls.
Source: GNA