Songtaba

Reported amount

$192,956

Contribution type

financial

Flow type

Standard

Donor

UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women

Recipient agency

Songtaba

Destination

Ghana

Plan

Unspecified

Sector

Protection - Gender-Based Violence

Decision date

04 Nov 2024

First reported

01 Apr 2025

Reference

27_42572

Multi-Sector - GBV Programming In Ghana, entrenched cultural beliefs and patriarchal norms contribute to a harsh reality for many women and girls. Witchcraft accusations and intimate partner violence (IPV) and systemic marginalization continue to deprive women of their safety, dignity, and rights. Recent studies paint a grim picture: Owusu (2023) highlights the rarity of defamation lawsuits against witchcraft accusations, while Eboiyehi (2017) reports that over 1,000 older women in northern Ghana suffer banishment to ""witch camps,"" often under dire conditions. The 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) further reveals alarming rates of IPV, particularly in the Savannah Region (53.4%) and the Central Region (44.0%). Witchcraft accusations in Ghana result not only in the ostracization and physical violence against the accused but also in severe stigmatization and, in some cases, fatal outcomes. In a recent study by Songtaba titled ""Prevalence of Depression, Quality of Life, and the Gender Dynamics of Women Accused of Witchcraft in Ghana"", it was found that 52.7% of women accused of witchcraft suffer from depression, while over 97% experience an extremely low quality of life, as measured by World Health Organization standards (Adam et al., 2022). Regarding intimate partner violence (IPV), the Ghana 2019 Human Rights Report highlights a troubling statistic: of the 264 rape and assault cases brought to court in 2015, only 17 resulted in convictions. The project seeks to tackle the pervasive nature of intimate partner violence (IPV), accusation and banishment of women alleged to be “witches”, lack of economic empowerment due to the patriarchal nature of the society which traps women in cycles of abuse and severely limits their access to essential support and justice. These interconnected forms of violence inflict severe harm on the lives of women and girls primarily because of the lack and /or weak implementation and enforcement of legislations including the anti-witchcraft law and the Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (Act 732) inter alia. The project aims to reduce violence against women and girls by ensuring 90% of survivors have access to comprehensive support services, ultimately creating a society where women live free from fear and discrimination. To achieve this, • We will establish and pilot safe shelters and one-stop centers offering psychosocial counseling, healthcare, and legal assistance for survivors of witchcraft accusation and IPV. These centers will streamline access to comprehensive support, and we will advocate for their adoption as a sustainable national model. • Additionally, the project will also lead community engagement and awareness campaigns, using survivor champions and influencers to challenge harmful norms and support the reintegration of GBV survivors. By collaborating with traditional authorities, we aim to shift attitudes toward gender equality and create lasting support networks. • Thirdly, we will promote economic independence by providing vocational training for out-of-school girls, mainly grandchildren of women accused of witchcraft, and offer entrepreneurship support for IPV survivors and accused women to help break cycles of violence and poverty. • Finally, we will advocate for policy reforms, particularly the passage of the stalled Anti-Witchcraft Bill. We will also advocate for the full operationalization of the Domestic Violence and Mental Health Funds. This project seeks to target 2,100 direct beneficiary vulnerable women and young women specifically, 500 number of old women accused of witchcraft, 300 number of girls who are members of the families of old women, 1300 number of women survivors of IPV and 400 service providers being secondary beneficiaries and 12,500 indirect beneficiaries in rural communities across 7 geographical districts in Northern and Coastal Ghana. This will include Northern (Yendi, Gushegu, Nanumba), Northeast (East Mamprusi) and savannah regions, as well as the Coastal regions (specifically ada-foah). It is instructive to mention that these communities are fraught with inadequate and /or lack of infrastructure, security, health and legal services, and social support systems, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of women and girls. Project success will be measured through a robust monitoring and evaluation framework, including baseline and endline surveys, regular progress reports, and external evaluations. Songtaba, as the lead consortium member, along with co-implementing partners; Renel Ghana Foundation will adopt an integrated approach using tested models and innovations such as Rights-Based Approach to address these challenges. The total budget of the project Six Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand four Hundred United States Dollars ($695,400.00)