US Embassy launches ‘Visuals for Gender Project’

The United States (US) Embassy in Ghana on Monday launched the “Visuals for Gender Project” in Accra, as part of activities to mark the start of 16-Days Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV).

The project seeks to visualise and use government data on GBV, to educate key stakeholders and inform evidence based advocacy to influence government policy, and also aim at building the capacity of journalists, gender activists, civil society organisations, government agencies, among others.

Launching the project, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Stephanie S. Sullivan, expressed concern about the various types of violence women go through across the globe.

She said according to the United Nations, 35 per cent of women have experienced physical or sexual intimidate partner violence, or sexual violence by a non-partner.

“Many more such crimes go unreported.  Violence against women is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer and a greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined,” Ambassador Sullivan said.

She said the conspiracy of silence regarding sexual and gender-based violence robs survivors of power and inhibits socio-economic development.

Ambassador Sullivan said it was necessary to have an accurate data on GBV to help create an evidence-based case to tackle gender-based violence, adding “this epidemic affects our most vulnerable, our girls, and often, cases of GBV are reported as single, isolated cases.

She said the US Embassy would continue to support programmes and initiatives that would help rescue vulnerable women.

BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG