In recent months, AWDF has noticed with deep concern, a rise in the frequency of violence-related deaths and injuries, and domestic violence cases being reported by the various Ghanaian mediahouses. Not only does it seem that violence has increased, it also seems that it comes in a wider variety of instances, some increasingly brutal and others startlingly fatal.
In reaction to this, three of our staff put together this personal blog piece on a call to action against violence against women very recently. Barely two weeks after, the Ghanaian celebrity representative to the popular South Africa-based Big Brother Africa, a very visible and internationally broadcasted reality show, slapped a fellow female housemate in a shocking act of violence which had them both expelled from the show, and left the entire continent debating. Our Communications Officer, Nana Sekyiamah issued an emphatic disapproval of this action of violence by a male against a female, and this was captured on leading radio stations and by Big Brother’s website.
These events have prompted us on the need to always ensure the availability of educative and preventive materials for victims and potential victims as well as perpetrators, on Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women. Hence, this resource paper on what defines Domestic Violence and places to go to for safety, des recommandations, de la protection et du soutien liés à la violence dans plusieurs pays à travers le continent africain.
Violence rates are rising everywhere, for a variety of reasons, and as Mr. Freeman Tettey, DOVVSU (Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit) Public Relations Officer said in an interview with The Times newspaper in Accra in March this year, there were 15, 495 reported cases of violence against women last year in Ghana, et 2,474 cases of woman-to-man violence cases in the same period. It is about time we increase public awareness and education of this negative situation in our societies.
For the Resource Paper on Violence Against Women (What to do, Where to go), please click the link below:
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Sur le fonds de développement des femmes africaines
Au cours des dix dernières années, le Fonds de développement des femmes africaines (Rapport Annuel ) a ouvert une piste pour les droits des femmes et la philanthropie à travers le continent africain. AWDF est un Africain, pas à but lucratif, Organisation de subventions. Depuis le début des opérations en 2001, AWDF a fourni 19 millions de dollars US en subventions à 800 organisations de femmes dans 42 pays d’Afrique.
Les processus de subvention de l'AWDF sont conçus de manière unique pour répondre aux besoins des femmes africaines et des activités comprennent la fourniture de petites et plus grandes subventions aux organisations de femmes africaines, Support de renforcement des capacités et un fort accent sur le plaidoyer et le renforcement des mouvements.
Madam/sir, we hope you are fine.We are a women group in Uganda existing since 2007. We are here to request you kindly to allow us to submit our proposal which is about violence we have known the call from the Fundsforngos and we are fitting in your criteria as well. we shall be great full if we put into consideration.
i would request awdf to provide positive widows in kenya in capacity building eg. workshops/ trainings if available.
The definition of Violence is deep enough to encompass a wide range of issues; discrimination , rejection, bartering, assaults, sexual, rapes, mental torture, pains infliction on the weaker sex-women in public, workplaces and homes all with the intention to subdue and controlled. society seems blind or deaf to this social ill. Its retrogression is evidence in socioeconomic efforts. Therefore it is a social ill that all bionomic factors both inertia and inert must unite force against !. We in our organisation are no exemption to this clarion call. We ought, we can and we must put a stop to it. On the 27th Edition of the Int’l Women’s Day VGF Cameroon was with message; ‘ RURAL AND URBAN POOR WOMEN AND SINGLE TEENAGE MOTHERS ARE OF EQUAL VALUE; SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS’. This message shows our commitment to promoting the wellbeing of women. We would gladly demonstrate this by responding to the call from AWDF, Thank you for making this resources available for the war against violence!
Directrice exécutive, Voice of Grace Foundation Cameroon
The repressive system and structure we inherited put women at the fore front of all forms of violence. The partriachy system practised by most African country including my home country sierra Leone continues to barricade women’s full enjoyment of their fundamental human rights. In Sierra Leone, the Gender Justice Laws was enacted in 2007 to address the inequalities and discrimination against women, yet women continue to face the worst form violence ranging from domestic to structural violence.
Infant girls as young as 4 years old are being raped and families continue to compromise leaving the victims in silent agony and pain completely indignified.
Future Focus Foundation’s advocacy and livelihood support is to demand women’s dignity especially in rural communities where women still find it difficult to articulate and claim their rights. Never the less the numerous challenges, we are there for them.
We are in strong solidarity to this call. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN MUST STOP!!. WOMEN ARE NOT DRUMS TO BEAT BUT HUMAN BEINGS WITH DIGNITY
Doris Finda Kallon
Gender Advocacy and Women’s Empowerment Coordinator
Fondation Future Focus
Jeudi, Sierra Leone
Its really sad that 17 years after BEIGING women’s Conference and many other conferencesheld around Africa on the issue of combating VAW we continue to see an increase in the number of cases of violence especially against women and the girl children.
The situation in my country is no better I must admit.
Sometimes I wonder and ask myself where are we going or where have we gone wrong. Unfortunately I got no answer up to now except that I know we should all keep on f ighting for it. That is why
I got these proposals to contribute
– That we strongly condenm film where women are being subjected to violence
– that we lobby film writers and producers and Artists to Unite in the fight against violence against against by stop using women as victim for violence
– That we use more our African Film makers and artists to Peace Ambassador
– thatt we collaborate with the Media worldwide for a Campaign on Loving Family, Pillar of the World.
– Lobby the UN Secretary General Ban Ji Moon to talk more about Peaceand Stable Family Realtionship in his move to unite people to live at peace with each other.
Woman like Oprah Winfrey should be approached to join hands with other Women of Africa in our pursue for A Life free from violence for both men and women.
Hope this contribution humble as it is, could be considered as we Unite to continue the good fight.
Rosemary -: Women in Action and Solidarity Organization( WASO)
Seychelles