The Aowin District is a newly created jurisdiction in the Western region of Ghana with a population of approximately 30,000 residents. The district has a large migrant farmer community as it falls in the High Forest Zone. Many of the migrant community members come to the district capital of Enchi from the neighbouring country of Togo.

 

Although the district exhibits a wide diversity of culture and a rapidly expanding population, the community has a high incidence of violence against women, including physical and verbal assaults. Marital disputes amongst migrant farmers, who live on their farms for most of the year, are also quite common. Most incidents result from differing perceptions about how home and business activities should be conducted. For example, disputes can develop over how profits are divided from produce sales, the lack of profit made from produce sales, the best handling procedures for meat and other produce or how maintenance practices are conducted in the home. Conflicts also can erupt if a wife refuses to yield to the sexual demands of her husband.

 

 

During the period of May to September 2014, hundreds of cases of violence against women were reported to the District Ghana Police Service and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) at Enchi.

Some of these reports include the following assaults:

• A husband hit the back of his wife’s head with a masher (locally called tapoli) resulting in her death
• A baby was left outside for a pig to feed on while a husband and wife were fighting
• A woman was drowned to death in a barrel of water as a result of being suspected of cheating on the husband
• A husband cut his wife’s fingers because food was not ready at the time he desired it
• A wife was assaulted because she refused to have sex with her husband because they already had many children and she was forbidden from using birth control measures.
• A man shot his wife as a result of suspected cheating
• A man hit his wife in the head resulting in her death because the wife complained of a lack of maintenance in the home
• A husband kills his wife and baby because she left pork meat unrefrigerated and it became rotten.

 

This stark reality forms the background for a new project by AWDF grantee partner, the Women Youth Forum for Sustainable Development (WYFSD), to share critical information about gender based violence with migrant farmer communities. WYFSD is implementing an initiative to provide inhabitants, particularly migrant farmers and traditional leaders, in the communities of Asuoklo, Angunzu, Kankaboin, Jensue, Anvohkro and Tanokro with knowledge on the effects of violence against women. Together, the six (6) communities can evolve potentially effective systems to better address gender based violence. As a part of this project, WYFSD has also established anti-gender based violence committees to exchange lessons and strategies in the selected communities.

 

 

Lessons learnt

Unfortunately, the communities are situated far away from police stations and many men take advantage of this fact. A number of the women subjected to domestic violence are reluctant to report because of fear of provoking a confrontation or ending their marriages.

 

The most surprising revelation learnt during the implementation of this project was that a majority of domestic conflicts begin with a disagreement over the proper maintenance of the home. A high level of poverty and the lack of alternative sources of income are also key indicators in addressing the issue of violence against women in the Aowin District.

 

A lack of balanced and healthy communication among couples is also a major issue. Many women are pushed to the physical brink every day, labouring on farms, caring for families and households all while not receiving any independent income for their efforts.

 

Short Term Outcomes

The formation of anti-violence committees has improved the security of women by monitoring incidences and supporting the linkage to appropriate law enforcement agencies. Authorities such as the police, assembly officers, chiefs and queen mothers, have been sensitised and are supporting the process.

 

The project was also able to fully sensitise 1,000 men and women on the harmful socio-economic impacts of violence against women for perpetrators, including the possibility of being arrested, imprisoned or even assaulted.

 

Through this project, male participants also learn how women are capable partners in life, work and community development. Men and women participants are taught how to practically avoid violence, disagreements and intimidation in the home. In fact, the chief of Tanokro, one of the project communities, was so supportive of eradicating gender based violence, he immediately joined the project implementation team.

 

Multiple area church leaders have also agreed to integrate messages about gender based violence within religious and evangelical activities. Several local FM stations have decided to share information on the elimination of gender based violence with their listeners. With the support of AWDF, the anti-violence committees will continue to meet with chiefs, elders, queen mothers, assembly officers and community members to discuss and enact mobilisation methods to effectively prevent gender based violence.

 

Article by: Rose Buabeng, AWDF Programme Officer for Anglophone Africa