By Samuel SAM & Rafiatu YAKUBU
A new initiative aimed at tackling sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) among girls and women has been inaugurated in Tamale.
The ‘Champions of Change Project: Collective Resilient Action Against SGBV’ is a six-month campaign spearheaded by PureTrust Foundation LBG in partnership with the Tamale Development Trust, with support from the Vibrant Village Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
The project seeks to address deeply rooted patriarchal systems that perpetuate inequality and abuse in communities across the Northern and Savannah Regions of Ghana. It aims to promote gender resilience and collective advocacy through community-led actions, digital campaigns and inclusive engagement.
The initiative will be rolled out in the Bole and North Gonja Districts in the Savannah Region, as well as the Tamale Metropolis and Sagnarigu Municipality in the Northern Region. The project will also be implemented in collaboration with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) under the GIZ-funded Human Rights, Gender Inequality and Civil Society (HE) programme.
As part of the project goals, communities are expected to adopt positive behaviours to eliminate SGBV, increase access to protection and support services for survivors, and promote the financial resilience of women. The initiative also encourages community leaders to sign commitments to keep their communities free of SGBV and for local foundations to prioritise such issues in their grant-making processes. Advocates of the cause will be identified with a “badge of honour”.
Speaking at the launch, Executive Director of Songtaba, Hajia Lamnatu, highlighted the psychological toll SGBV has on victims. She stressed that patriarchal practices continue to suppress the voices of girls and women, slowing their progress in society. “When the voices of women and girls are suppressed, yet they are the ones suffering, it hampers development,” she said, describing SGBV as an epidemic that requires urgent national attention.
Mr. Inusah Iddrisu, Principal Public Education Officer and Investigator at CHRAJ’s Northern Regional Office, called on stakeholders to uphold the rights of women, girls and persons with disabilities. He warned that failure to protect these groups endangers their future, especially in cases where perpetrators, including some parents, are not held accountable. He also appealed for support for rural women farmers to access land for agribusiness.
Madam Jamila Tahiru, Project Coordinator at PureTrust LBG, said the project was designed to bring together all stakeholders willing to be change-makers in their communities. “We named this initiative ‘Champions of Change’ to reflect the collective effort needed to combat SGBV,” she said, citing a UN Women report which states that at least one in four women globally experience gender-based violence.
Chief Executive Officer of PureTrust Foundation LBG, Mr. Habib Haruna, noted that the organisation’s broader mission is to promote economic security and social inclusion for disadvantaged groups in Ghana. He added that PureTrust supports communities with awareness creation, technical assistance and capacity building in resource mobilisation and management.
