RUWA-Ghana, a non-government women's rights organisation, has called for concerted efforts to halt all forms of attacks targeted at women and girls as the world marks International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25.

UN Women and UNODC reveal that femicide – the most extreme form of violence against women and girls – remains pervasive globally, with incidents reported in Ghana.

Globally, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023. Sixty per cent of these homicides –51,100 – were committed by an intimate partner or a family member.

The data shows 140 women and girls die every day at the hands of their partner or a close relative, which means one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes.

In 2023, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide, followed by the Americas and then by Oceania.

RUWA-Ghana, which is at the forefront of women empowerment in northern Ghana, recorded more than 30 cases of gender-based violence in its catchment area from 2020 to 2023.

Consequently, RUWA-Ghana Board Chair Dr Sylvia Anie has called on authorities to take action to end the menace which threatens the progress of women socially, mentally and physically.

“We need to wake up as a nation. We need to wake up as a community to stop one of the world's most persistent violations of human rights – violence against women. Gender-based violence is a human rights violation that undermines a person's sense of self-worth. Women and girls – it is time now to speak up; the days of silently enduring pain and hurt ought to end,” Dr Anie, co-chair of the WHO Research Project Review Panel for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, Geneva, stated.

“Let us beat the drums loudly, raise awareness about eliminating gender-based violence, speak up against negative cultural and discriminatory attitudes, and call for strengthened law enforcement.”

Having worked in public health and development in a variety of roles, Dr Anie has been a voice and support for victims and envisages a world free of gender-based violence.

“If you are experiencing violence, reach out to family, friends, neighbours, a health worker, or a teacher. If you know of someone experiencing violence, be willing to stretch out your hand to help,” the Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, UK, added.

As part of efforts to address the canker, the UN is rolling out 16 days of activism campaigns across the globe.

During the period, UN Women will be calling to revitalise commitments and call for accountability and action from decision-makers.

Executive Director of RUWA-GHANA, Masud Aziz Rauf, explained various programmes and activities would be rolled out in Ghana to call on leaders to tighten laws to protect women and girls.

He further outlined support services offered by RUWA-GHANA and called on victims to seek assistance, as experts are always available to intervene, protect, and uphold their rights while perpetrators are brought to book.