Hen Mpoano, a non-for-profit organisation has revealed some forms of abuse women go through as they engage in economic activities.
This was contained in a research conducted under the Women in Fisheries Against Violence was sponsored by the European Union (EU) with a three-year implementation.
The research aims at uncovering the Gender base violence dynamics, drivers, effects, and prevalence within the project’s targeted communities.
The communities which partook in the research within the Western Region included Asanda, Ekwei and Akwidaa.
The project implementation is spearheaded by H3n Mpoano which is aimed at reducing gender-based violence in fishing communities and ensuring equality in fisheries management.
The Project Manager for the Women In Fisheries Against Violence Project, Adiza Amoah Owusu, says the project is being undertaken in three districts here in the Western Region.
She reveals that due to economic difficulties, women trade sex for fish whilst men also suffer abusive utterances from their wives especially when they refuse to provide housekeeping money.
Adiza Amoah Owusu says, her outfit is working with government in a bid to curtail this menace.
“With the research that was conducted under the women in fisheries against violence project to focus on the gender based violence, the forms it takes at the communities. The project is working in two regions, i.e Central and Western Regions.
As part of the project strategy, to curb this menace, we want to work with the government agency who are responsible for all these violence issues. We are going to have a circle of support where we are going to train community members and link them to these institutions to have access to them to address issues of gender based abuses,” She said.
Adiza observed that some social and cultural norms hinder victims of gender based violence from reporting abuses meted to them.
She added that the organisation is looking forward to building the capacities of men and women as well as equipping them to report cases of gender-based violence.
“We will use the men as allies to help them see the need to protect women and not to abuse them. Some vulnerable groups would be identified and trained where startup capital is given to them for investment as a way of catering for their families,” She added.
