Youth SpeakUp Discuss Violence Against Women at Hopin Academy

 Hopin Academy and its partners; RUMNET, YEFL and Ghana Friends in Denmark have launched the Youth Speak UP project to speak out against many of these social vices including the violence against women. The project focuses mainly on youth in some four deprived districts of Tamale, Northern Ghana; Kumbungu, Savelugu, Saboba and Karaga. Youth Speak Up will be holding both offline and online discussions on how to curb violence against women in the identified districts.

Last Saturday night, 27th, saw active change makers and counselors at Hopin Academy, the Youth Speakup night saw the likes of Miss Blessilla , Maccarthy Lomotey, Ruka Yaro, Mrs Hikmat Baba Dua, Carole Donkers, Mr Sofo, Mr Mash, Mr Mustapha, Zakaria Abdul Hakim Cisse, Clement Boateng, representatives of CHRAJ, and partner radio stations of the project and community based journalist and many many others, they gathered to discuss Violence against Women. Violence against women and girls has many manifestations, including forms that may be more common in specific settings, countries and regions. Violence against women manifests itself as physical, sexual, emotional and economic.

Lots of stories about violence against women were told during the Idea Platform night at Hopin Academy, suggestions and solutions came to live when the moderators divided the change makers in to groups, to brain storm and come up with possible causes, effects and solutions to help bring the act to an end.

The most universally common forms include domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual violence (including rape), sexual harassment, and emotional/psychological violence. Sexual violence as a tactic of warfare and in the aftermath of emergencies is also common in the respective countries and areas affected.Other widespread forms around the globe include: sexual exploitation, sexual trafficking, and harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), forced and child marriage

MR ADAM MUMUNI FROM SAVELUGU Shared this story during the Youth Speakup Idea Platform; '' A man also married to woman, they had child who completed j h s and her family were financial handicap, so the girl mother went to her brothers for assistance to pay the girl school fees. So the woman handed over the money to the husband to pay the fee and the man spent the money, hmmm, the woman complained to her brothers and the man was arrested, with this reason, the man said that is the end of their marriage. ''

Hikmat Baba Dua narrated a story about the Little Girl and her Aunt :

"A girl staying with her Aunt used not to sleep in the house at night. Upon research by League of Young Females, they realized that the Aunty of this girl used to put pepper into her Vagina for wetting her pants at night. Upon the action of the league, they decided to sue the woman, but the family decided to resolve it as an internal family problem. But the League still insisted and later made arrangements for the girl to be sent back to her biological mother. This was an achievement by the league, but on the other hand, an act of child abuse(violence) by the Aunty over the girl''

Others interesting stories shared on the faithful night was

A woman who suffered bruises after sexual intercourse with her husband, according to nthe narrator, the woman didn’t find it necessary to report her husband because she said it’s normal, thus she is used to it. Musah Zainab one of the change makers and a student of University for Development Studies suggested that '' the women should take control during sexual intercourse with their partners, she explained that some male partners don’t usually know how to control themselves during sexual intercourse and end up hurting their partners unintentionally.''  Madam Ruka Yaro also agreed to Miss Zainab submission and also advice '' that male partners take it easy on their partners during intercourse.''

The story about a man refusing to take responsibility for impregnating a young lady also came up, lucky for the lady she had evidence to prove to her people that indeed the man is responsible, and another story about a woman’s complain about her husband demanding for more sex days and warned her against using contraceptives, she seek advice from health personal in her community, according to Miss Blessilla, a nutritionist, the narrator of this sad story,  they found a solution to her problem. Miss  Blessilla added "No is an option. Let's help our women to say NO to violence". A story about teachers teaching female students breast also came up and Female teachers aslo having affairs with male students.

Violence is a threat to all women in our society. For too long it has been kept silent. Many believe that violence at home is a “family affair” and should be dealt with inside the home Too often we turn our heads when we know that a woman is being abused. That silence is as dangerous as the abuse itself. By ignoring violence, we are putting every woman we know at risk. Violence against women affects every woman from time they are infants until they are elderly. It affects our daughters. Mothers, sisters and friends. Violence is a threat not only to women, but affects society as a whole

The next Youth Speakup Ideal platform is coming on 10^th September at the Hopin Academy in the tamale metropolis, you ca also join the conversation via their facebook  and twitter page with the hastag #ysugh topic for discussion will be revealed few days to the D day.