VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: PLAN INT’L ADVOCATES PROSECUTION OF PERPETRATORS

Despite the adoption of the Convention of the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women by the UN general assembly in 1979, violence against women and girls remains a pervasive problem worldwide.

This, according to the Country director of Plan Ghana, Solomon Tesfamariam, is threatening the campaign against eliminating discrimination against women and girls.

Issues of defilement, rape, physical assault, domestic violence, child marriage among others, constitute violence against women’s girls.

According to Plan Ghana, 1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most often by an intimate partner.

Also, only 52% of women married or in union freely make their own decision on sexual relations, contraceptive use and health care, while 71% of all victims of human trafficking worldwide are women and girls; 3 out of 4 of whom are sexually exploited.

Country Director of Plan Ghana, Solomon Tesfamariam, says violence against women has led to deaths in many cases and is calling for the prosecution of perpetrators to deter others from doing same.

Domestic violence used to be the main issue regarding violence against women. The situation has however changed as increasing cases of violence against women being recorded occur in churches and at places of work.

Violence against women causes immediate devastating consequences to victims including physical injuries, mental health problems and poor well-being which may limit the abilities of these victims to achieve their fullest potentials.