In the heart of Accra, scores of young people thronged the Osu Oxford Street to create awareness on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Harmful Practices (HP). UNFPA Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellows have spearheaded a youth-led march and vigil to climax the 16 Days of Activism against (SGBV) campaign.

Over 50 young people participated in the walk from the premises of UNFPA Country Office to the Osu Oxford street and later converged at the Ghana Police Headquarters for the Vigil.

Cladded in bright orange T-shirts, participants interacted with onlookers with placards while distributing some Information Education Communication (IEC) materials with anti-SGBV messages. Some placards read “Pay my school fees, not my bride price”, “I am your wife, not your punching bag”, “NO means NO”.

During the walk, members of the public were encouraged to report cases of abuse to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service or call the toll-free help line 18555.

The youth in a moving truck full of loud speakers, encouraged the onlookers to join the fight against socio-cultural norms in the society that heighten abuse against women and girls. They further reiterated the need for people to speak up in order to break the culture of silence when abused.

As the YoLe fellows together with other youth groups such as Youth Action Movement, Curious Minds and several tertiary university students observed the vigil, a bonfire was lit at the site of the One-Stop-Shop at the Police Headquarters. Survivors of SGBV who voluntarily shared their experiences were not left out as personnel from Safe Space Foundation provided them with psycho social therapy. 

Malaika Jibril Alhassan, Inspector of Police with DOVVSU educated the crowd present on the importance of speaking up and reporting cases of abuse to the police. He advised that though the 16 Days draws to an end, all hands must be on deck to increase advocacy on gender-based violence.

“1 out of 3 women are abused every day. It’s traumatizing to be abused. Stop blaming yourself and report perpetrators because that’s the only way DOVVSU can arrest them. “- she stated.

This year’s 16 Days of activism campaign was under the national theme, “Call it Out, Stop Sexual Violence against Women and Girls Now!”. The event was supported by the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI).