A six-month initiative aimed at tackling Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Northern Ghana has been launched. The project, called “Champions of Change: Collective Resilient Action Against SGBV,” is being implemented in Tamale and Sagnarigu Municipalities in the Northern Region, as well as Bole and North Gonja Districts in the Savannah Region.
The project seeks to strengthen community-level responses to SGBV through advocacy, prevention, and support for survivors. It will empower 200 women on financial resilience, promote gender-inclusive family models in 20 communities, and establish district-level gender action movements.
PureTrust Foundation LBG, a non-governmental organisation based in Tamale, is leading the project with support from GIZ under the S(HE) project. Other partners include Vibrant Village Foundation, Songtaba, the Bole District Community Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
The initiative also involves collaboration with local authorities, traditional leaders, religious institutions, youth groups, and organisations such as the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD). It aims to promote collective responsibility in addressing the root causes of SGBV, especially in rural and underserved communities.
The programme targets issues such as deep-rooted patriarchy, economic exclusion, and the social norms that drive abuse and discrimination. It incorporates digital advocacy and community-led actions to raise awareness and support survivors.
The goal is to build a strong movement of change actors who will work to eliminate gender-based violence at the community level. The project will also seek commitments from local leaders to make their communities SGBV-free while encouraging community foundations to prioritise SGBV interventions in their grant-making processes.
Stakeholders, including social welfare officers, disability rights advocates, and reproductive health service providers, participated in the launch and pledged their support for the project. The initiative is expected to improve access to protection services, enhance women’s economic resilience, and reduce stigma around reporting abuse.
The PureTrust Foundation and its partners have expressed confidence in the initiative’s impact, which aims to create safer and more inclusive communities across northern Ghana.
