The Executive Director of Network of Women in Growth, Ms Mawulawoe Awitey, who made the call, said women and girls often went through abuses which affected their way of life.
Some of the abuses, she said, included rape, defilement, males rating girls’ breasts at school or through social media, the persistent degrading comments young women received from their boyfriends, the restrictions male students placed on their girlfriends’ behaviours, or the sexual assault of a roommate by a male ‘friend’ who believed ‘no’ meant ‘yes’.
“The continuum of violence experienced by young women are too often unrecognised, downplayed, mislabelled, and misunderstood,” she added.
Ms Awitey was speaking at a day’s forum for young women organised by Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre (GSHRDC) in Accra yesterday.
The forum, supported by FORD Foundation, formed part of the ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’ campaign commemorated on November 25 to December 10 every year.
Under the theme “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls,” the forum aimed at engaging young women on their role in advocating for an end to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
Ms Awitey said violence against young women might amplify the self-consciousness and struggles readily experienced, and increase the risk of experiencing future victimisations.
She said it might also result in coping strategies that might create other vulnerabilities such as substance use, high risk sexual
behaviours, suicidal ideation and compromise educational attainment and financial earnings.
Ms Awitey underscored the need for young women to belong to social class and form alliances by using different communication channels to voice their demands and exchange experiences.
Ms Lilly Mensah, a young feminist, urged young women to take advantage of social media and mobilise to create awareness of GBV.
She also called on younger generations to recognise older generations and seek their support and cooperation towards the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Esenam Amuzu, a participant and youth advocate for WILDAF Ghana, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, expressed gratitude to GSHRDC for the engagement and said it had built her capacity as a young activist and would not allow to be tamed as a young woman anymore, but will speak out to help eliminate the canker.
Participants were taken through topics such as VAWG activism before and now (what, why, when and how), the challenges of activism today and the way forward and the role of young women in advocating for an end to VAWG and the call to action to UNITE in the fight.