<p><strong>Tamale, Nov. 24, &#8211; Mr Peter Mintir Amadu, Psychologist for Mental Health Advocate and also Founder and Executive Director of TOLEC Ghana disclosed that Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) has increased the risk of mentally challenges in the country.</strong></p>
<p>He said SGBV against women and girls is linked to many poor health outcomes including long-term mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic.</p>
<p>Mr Amadu disclosed this during KASA project SGBV advocacy writing training held in Tamale and organized by Savannah Women Integrated (SWIDA-GHANA).</p>
<p>The trianing was part of KASA! initiative focusing on prevention, accountability and support, including post-rape care and sexual violence services.</p>
<p>It was also to increase comprehensive awareness and mobilize action to counter existing narratives, attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate sexual violence.</p>
<p>He said more women and girls victims feel anxious, vulnerable, loses confidence and interest in men relationship.</p>
<p>According to him, some of the victims also develop mental health problems such as trauma and stressor- related.</p>
<p>Mr Amadu noted that freedom from violence is a fundamental human rights and gender-based violence undermines a person&#8217;s sense of self -worth and self-esteem, which affects not only physical health but also mental health and may lead to self harm and isolation.</p>
<p>He said as part of measurement, stakeholders should help equip the adolescent girls and youth with vital skills like effective communication and self-confidence to build healthy relationships which can protect them from SGBV.</p>
<p>&#8220;Through our Protect Our Youth Curriculum, we build adolescent girls and young women’s agency and empower them with skills to mitigate the triggers of SGBV&#8221;, he added.</p>
<p>Mr Amadu mentioned that families have a critical role in children’s upbringing, and should be places of sanctuary, growth, and development.</p>
<p>&#8220;Parents and caregivers can be the first line of support for children, and facilitate access to essential services&#8221;.</p>
<p>He said stakeholders should create awareness and empower survivors to break the silence by combining SGBV prevention with post-SGBV care services.</p>
<p>He also called on the authorities to train community cadres and social workers to act as a SGBV response team that provides linkages to key resources, including the police, social welfare offices, and health and legal services to facilitate access to SGBV care and support.</p>
<p>Hajia Alima Sagito Saeed, the Excecutive Director of SWIDA-GHANA indicated that in Ghana, rape, sexual assault and domestic violence are significantly underreported, and the police lack capacity to effectively investigate cases due to pressure from family and influential figures to close such cases.</p>
<p>According to her community leaders still continue to negotiate for rapists to pay compensation to victims’ families.</p>
<p>&#8220;Harmful social and cultural norms, coupled with stereotypical gender norms continue to remain at the root of SGBV&#8221;, she stated</p>
<p>Ms. Khadijah Abudui-Samed, the Project Lead state that the project was funded by African Women Development Fund (AWDF), aimed at ensuring that women and girls are at the forefront of highlighting, addressing and ending sexual violence through advocacy programmes.</p>
<p>She furthered:&#8221;KASA! Ending Sexual Violence in West Africa initiative is a five-year initiative to boost feminist action and advocacy against sexual violence in West Africa&#8221;.</p>
<p>&#8220;Being implemented in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal, the initiative is to help strengthen and support women’s rights organisations to raise awareness of sexual violence as a violation of human rights and rally support to combat it&#8221;, she added.</p>