The 2026 Women of Valour (WoV) Conference has launched its fourth edition with a call for coordinated action to protect women and girls.
This is to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders working to address gender-based violence and create safer environments for women and children.
At the launch, which was on the theme: “The Pursuit of Fearlessness,” speakers highlighted the persistent prevalence of gender-based violence and the role of the media, institutions and communities in driving change.
Platform
Speaking at the lunch, the Founder of WoV, Nana Aba Anamoah, said the platform emerged from honest conversations about women’s lived experiences and survival.
“We can’t pursue fearlessness when we do not feel safe. Safety is not a courtesy; it is a right,” she said.
Abuse
The Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, described gender-based violence as a widespread reality in the country and across Africa.
“This is not fiction. This is the reality of our lives in Ghana, in Africa and beyond,” she said, citing cases of rape, defilement and domestic abuse, often perpetrated by trusted individuals.
She referenced data indicating that more than 41 per cent of Ghanaian women aged 15 to 49 have experienced intimate partner violence.
“Our actions have been fragmented. We must strengthen collaboration, enforce our laws and use technology responsibly to protect women and children,” she added.
Legal frameworks
For her part, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said the Ministry was mandated by law to protect vulnerable groups.
“It’s mandated by law to ensure the protection of individuals and groups who are seen as vulnerable, including women, children and persons with disabilities,” she said.
She said President John Dramani Mahama had tasked the Ministry to balance vulnerability with adequate protection.
The Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Officer at the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Peggy Uffang-Dey, said “empowering women is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity for sustainable and inclusive growth.”
The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Dr Christian Rogg, said the United Kingdom was committed to addressing violence against women and girls.
“Tackling these issues is critical if we want to build healthier, fairer and more prosperous societies,” he said.
For this part, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, described WoV as a transformative platform.
In a panel discussion, the panellists examined the landscape of gender-based violence, with speakers explaining that although progress had been made, prevalence remained high.
Survivors shared personal experiences of abuse in childhood, within families and in intimate relationships.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh