Womankind in Ghana

Woman in Akawani, Ghana

In the past year Womankind has directly supported 11,661 women in Ghana to change their lives by: 

1. Eliminating the high levels of violence against women 

2. Raising women’s voices in decision-making 

3. Increasing resources for women’s rights and development 

 To achieve this Womankind and partners are addressing the underlying causes and consequences of violence and discrimination against women in the following areas:�
 

1. Eliminating the high levels of violence against women

 The situation

 In Ghana’s deeply patriarchal society, violence against women is pervasive and widely accepted:  

•  1 in 3 women has experienced some form of physical violence in their lifetime
• 20% of women first experience sex against their will
• Gender based violence makes women more likely to contract HIV. 60% of adults living with the virus are women, and married women are 3 times more likely to contract HIV.

 What Womankind is doing

 We are working with our partners to: 

• Address discriminatory practices and gender-based violence which make women more likely to contract HIV and AIDS 
• Protect and promote the rights of women affected by HIV and AIDS 
• Reduce violence against women in communities 

2. Raising women’s voices in decision-making 

The situation 

Women’s civil and political participation in Ghana is drastically low. Cultural and social barriers continue to stop women’s voices being heard, limiting women’s contribution to development, poverty reduction and to the achievement of gender equality: 

• Out of 230 MPs only 19 are women, significantly below the average for Africa. 

• At the last local government elections only 9.4% of people contesting were women. 

What Womankind is doing 

We are working with our partners to: 

• Address barriers to women’s political participation at the local and national level . 

3. Increasing resources for women’s rights and development 

The situation Gender equality and women’s empowerment have been recognised as vital elements to eradicating poverty. However, international donor assistance has not always prioritised aid for gender equality and women’s empowerment. International donor assistance to Ghana has increased steadily over the years but: 

• There is little information available on how much money is reaching people in the districts of Ghana. 

• It is unclear how much of the aid money is being used for gender equality and women’s human rights work. 

• Despite the fact that women are half of the population – they don’t really have a say in decisions about what money should be spent on in their communities. 

What Womankind is doing 

We are working with our partner to: 

• Research how aid is being used for women’s empowerment projects 

• Involve women in decision making at the local level. 

How you can help

• £41 could train a community paralegal in Ghana, to provide legal support, such as court representation to survivors of violence, helping them to obtain divorces, child custody or to keep their home.
• £72 could pay a paralegal to visit and meet with Ghanaian communities, to challenge attitudes to HIV and AIDS.

You can help by giving today.