Below are a selection of quotes which demonstrate the enormous progress WOMANKIND’s projects in Ghana are making.
"I cannot believe that today I am sitting in a group with men, women and young women, together, talking about violence. When I was younger nobody talked about it. The only way you could tell, was in the morning you saw the woman with bruises and a sad face."
(Magazia in Zebilla, Ghana)
"In our cultural system violence against women is made acceptable and it’s quite often veiled under such terms as discipline, correction, chastisement, that are normally viewed as the rights of men. I spend a lot of time talking to both women and men about self-respect, respect for others and how that ties in with traditional values and local customs. We’re setting up local COMBAT teams where women have training to help others who are experiencing violence. It makes an amazing difference to their lives – they often find their own voice and become involved in decision-making.”
(Andrews Tagoe, General Agricultural Workers Union, Nkyinkyim project)
Though I do not have girls now, I pray that God will give me female children. Because of the knowledge I have found through WOMANKIND’s scheme, I wish to give equal opportunities in education to children of both sexes and discourage forceful marriages and female genital mutilation practices on girls.”
(Mariama, from Tamale, Northern Ghana)
“I was a victim of abuse myself. The abuse was physical, psychological and economic. I already reported my husband to the police twice, but they sent me back to the family and nothing has changed. It is through the sensitization of the project that I was able to be firm and take the decision to leave him. … I involved the family, step by step, and finally I divorced and since I’m very happy. I have the five children with me, they are all in education. I’m a teacher, I have my NGO and I’m involved in a lot of community activities. … I’m a completely different person now and I am very self-confident.”
(Programme partner staff worker)
“Personally, I didn’t respect women. Even in the family, if they invite women at all, their issues will not even be considered …but this changed… and my life has improved by 200%.”
(State agency officer)
“Before, we blamed the women who came to the hospital – and we even mishandled them. Now we try to find out what happened and show them the options to report the case.”
(Nurse)
