Smart Women Movement launches campaign to end violence against women
By Stephen Freeman
The Smart Women Collaborate Movement (SWCM) is calling for urgent, collective action to end all forms of violence against women and girls in Ghana.
Speaking at the launch of its new advocacy initiative, ‘Advocacy, Coalition Building, and Transformative Feminist Action to End Violence Against Women’, also known as the ACT Campaign, SWCM Executive Director Priscilla Esenam Kortsu urged civil society groups, government agencies and individuals to work together to eliminate gender-based violence.
“We cannot tackle this issue in silos. Ending violence against women and girls requires collaboration, compassion and commitment. It is time for us to come together with one voice and one purpose to protect the rights, dignity and future of every woman and girl,” said Miss Kortsu.
Violence against women and girls remains a deeply entrenched issue in Ghana, manifesting in physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse. Harmful traditional practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation continue to affect thousands.
According to the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, one in three women (33 per cent) have experienced physical violence since the age of 15. The report also shows that 36 per cent of women have suffered emotional, physical or sexual abuse from a current or recent partner.
Miss Kortsu also stressed that statistics like these are “not just numbers, they are lived realities that reflect a crisis of inequality and silence”.
“Every woman and girl deserves to live free from fear. We owe it to them to act, not just talk,” she noted.
The ACT Campaign aims to amplify awareness, push for stronger policies and mobilise resources and partnerships to protect vulnerable women and girls. It also seeks to influence sub-regional policymaking for impact on national laws and policies to end violence against women and girls.
Smart Women Collaborate Movement is encouraging all like-minded individuals, community leaders, organisations and institutions to join the movement and stand against gender-based violence in all its forms.
“Together, we can create a Ghana where every woman and girl can thrive without the threat of violence,” said Miss Kortsu.
