Ghana Launches 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Spotlighting Online Abuse

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has officially launched the 2025 edition of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, calling for a united national effort to end abuse in all forms, both offline and online.

Speaking at the launch, attended by government officials, development partners, students, and media representatives, Dr. Lartey stressed the urgent need for collective action, noting that violence against women and girls remains a pervasive national challenge.

Citing Ghana’s 2016 national survey, she revealed that 27.7% of women—roughly one in four—have experienced physical or sexual violence. “These are not just statistics,” she said. “They represent trauma, lost potential, and quiet suffering in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.”

She also highlighted findings from the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey, which showed that 32% of girls and young women aged 15–24 agreed that wife-beating could be justified. “Harmful norms are silently shaping minds, but culture must never excuse violence. We can rewrite the story,” Dr. Lartey said.

With this year’s campaign focusing on digital abuse, the Minister warned that online gender-based violence is rising, particularly against young girls. She cited trends including cyberbullying, sextortion, image-based abuse, stalking, and doxxing, emphasizing that “online violence may happen on a screen, but the pain is real.” She encouraged the public to challenge harmful behavior, block abusers, and report violations.

A key feature of the 2025 campaign is the Ministry’s “16 Stations, 16 Routes” initiative, which will use public transport hubs nationwide to raise awareness. The program will engage commuters through stickers, conversations, mobile outreach, and safe-space activations, supported by UNFPA Ghana and other partners. “Transport systems are our megaphones,” Dr. Lartey said. “We are taking this message to everyday people where they live, commute, and work.”

The Minister also highlighted progress in survivor support, noting the training of 200 market executives across six regions as community paralegals and the involvement of over 100 professionals—including psychologists, medical officers, lawyers, and volunteers—providing structured referrals and support. She encouraged the public to make use of these services, adding, “No one should suffer in silence. Help is there.”

Reaffirming the government’s commitment under President John Dramani Mahama, Dr. Lartey announced that the Accra Domestic Violence Shelter is operational, with plans to establish 16 regional shelters within three years. “These shelters will offer safety, healing, and dignity for survivors. This is not a promise for the future—it is a commitment we are already advancing,” she said.

Dr. Lartey concluded by urging citizens to actively participate in ending gender-based violence by challenging harmful jokes, correcting stereotypes, reporting abusers, supporting survivors, and amplifying #EndGBVGH on social media. “There is no neutrality in the fight against gender-based violence. Violence is not tradition—it is a wound. And Ghana must heal.”