Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international NGO, has held a community durbar for schoolchildren at Sagnarigu to sensitise them on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) with a call on them to avoid such negative practices around them.

Mr Timothy Akanpabadai, Head of Office, Tamale, CRS, who made the call, told the schoolchildren to vow that as they grew to become husbands and wives, they would not raise their hands against their wives and husbands and or their children.

Schoolchildren from Sagnarigu Halaliah Primary and Junior High School in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region were engaged as part of the durbar, which also featured a drama and poetry recital to sensitise them on certain SGBV issues that seemed to be normalised in society but which were not right.

Later, a team from the CRS also engaged third-year students of Tamale Senior High School at the school to sensitise them on SGBV, how to identify SGBV, who to reach out to when they identified SGBV, and how to approach the iss
ue, as well as drug abuse.

The events formed part of activities by the CRS to mark the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against SGBV.

The 16 Days of Activism Campaign against SGBV is an international campaign commemorated from November 25, through December 10, every year, and this year’s commemoration is on the theme: ‘UNITE! Invest to prevent Violence against Women and Girls’.

Mr Akanpabadai denounced normalising SGBV acts, urging teachers to play lead roles by educating children on the issue to understand that ‘It is not when you raise your shoulders that it shows that you are a man.’

He said cases of SGBV had to stop, calling on the citizens, including children to take action by reporting such acts to help ensure justice for survivors and deter people from such acts to help end them in society.

He also appealed to traditional authorities to take action to stop such practices in society.

Sagnarigu Gundaanaa Fuseini Mohammed, an Elder at the Palace of the Paramount Chief of Sagnarigu, said Chiefs did not s
ubscribe to SGBV and would ensure that perpetrators of such acts in the communities were dealt with in accordance with the law.

He added that those, who thought that they could seek refuge at Chiefs’ Palaces after perpetrating SGBV, should reconsider their positions because the Chiefs did not encourage such acts.

Madam Elizabeth Kassan, an Officer from the Department of Social Welfare, Tamale Metro, who spoke on Legal and Institutional Frameworks for Adolescent Rights, SGBV, said the country’s laws proscribed SGBV, adding there were policies to protect children in those circumstances.

Madam Kassan, whilst encouraging children to report abuse against them, also urged them to live up to their responsibilities at home.

Source: Ghana News Agency