A significant number of young women in Ghana still consider wife-beating justifiable, underscoring the persistence of harmful traditional norms, according to Mrs Joycelyn Adii, Bono Regional Director of the Department of Gender. Speaking at a forum in Abesim near Sunyani, she revealed that about 32 percent of girls aged 15 to 24 hold this belief, while a 2016 domestic violence survey showed that 27.7 percent of Ghanaian women have experienced at least one form of abuse.
Mrs Adii was addressing participants at a forum organised to mark the 2025 “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign. Held under the theme “The role of the community in protecting women and girls,” the event brought together civil society actors, security services, political representatives, and women and youth groups. It was organised by the Bono Regional Office of the Department of Gender with support from ActionAid Ghana (AAG).
Highlighting the broader societal impact of gender-based violence, Mrs Adii stressed that abuse affects entire communities. “When a woman is beaten, when a girl is assaulted, when a child is mistreated, families are broken, children are traumatised, productivity declines, and poverty deepens,” she said. She described violence not only as a human rights violation and public health concern but also as a major development challenge.
In addition to traditional forms of abuse, Mrs Adii drew attention to the rising prevalence of digital violence. Online attacks—including cyberstalking, non-consensual sharing of images, body-shaming, threats, defamation, and harassment—undermine confidence, dignity, mental health, and opportunities, she warned. “Just like physical violence, digital violence destroys lives and communities,” she said.
Mr Kwame Afram Denkyira, Bono Regional Programme Manager for ActionAid Ghana, echoed the call, noting that violence against women and girls remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations, with long-term consequences for individuals, families, and society at large.
Mrs Adii urged stakeholders—traditional leaders, community members, and policy actors—to challenge harmful norms, break the culture of silence, and actively engage in creating safe spaces both offline and online for women and girls.
The forum underscored that ending gender-based violence requires collective action, awareness, and community-level accountability, and highlighted the growing need to address emerging forms of digital abuse alongside physical violence.
