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The Civic Education Officer of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Phebemary Makafui Adodo-Samani, has proposed the adoption of April as Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
This according to her would help educate the public, especially children, about the devastating effects of sexual violence and promote a culture of consent.
“As the world observes April as Sexual Violence Awareness Month, I will urge Ghana to also adopt this international event as a national awareness campaign to raise awareness about sexual violence and abuse just like we do in October to raise awareness about Breast Cancer and it working positively,” she said.
Mrs Adodo-Samani made the call at a seminar organised by the Accra Technical University in partnership with “I Believe Global” in Accra last Friday to mark the International Women’s Day.
The day was under the theme; “Advancing women’s role in the digital economy and AI innovation.”
According to her, Ghana lacked concrete statistics on sexual violence due to inadequate research, however, anecdotal evidence suggested that the problem was pervasive, with many victims suffering in silence.
She emphasised that raising awareness was crucial in preventing sexual violence and supporting survivors.
She highlighted that the colour teal had been adopted as a symbol of Sexual Violence Awareness Month, and encouraged the public to wear teal ribbons and T-shirts to show their support.
“This awareness campaign can be likened to the successful breast cancer awareness initiatives, which have educated the public about the disease and encouraged women to undergo regular checks.”
“By adopting Sexual Violence Awareness Month as a national event, Ghana can take a significant step towards addressing this critical issue,” she assured.
The director of I Believe Global, Prof. Smile Gavua Dzisi, urged girls to pursue careers in male-dominated fields, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programmes.
She highlighted the potential of girls in artificial intelligence and digitalisation by citing examples of women in Africa who were excelling in that field.
Prof. Dzisi noted that research had shown a significant gap in the number of females in AI and digitalisation, but emphasised that this could be bridged with determination and hard work.
She cited the example of Ghana’s first female Vice President, as well as other female leaders in various sectors, as inspiration for young girls and urged them to aspire for greatness.
BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
