Gender-based violence continues to be one of the most pervasive human rights violations worldwide. According to UN Women, nearly 1 in 3 women globally experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, mostly by an intimate partner. Despite increased awareness and advocacy, the statistics remain alarming, with pandemic conditions having exacerbated many risk factors.
In the wake of this year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Accelerate Action,” I find myself confronting a harsh reality that demands more than just superficial discourse. The theme resonates deeply, yet it exposes the uncomfortable truth about gender-based violence that transcends simple solutions.
I’ve tried to shield myself from the constant barrage of distressing news. Avoiding digital spaces, scrolling past heart-wrenching stories these were my misguided attempts at self-preservation.
I have tried, cross my heart. I have avoided speaking about anything in any of my digital spaces. Still, the more I do, the more they come to me, and recently, an incident that hit close to home hit me badly, forcing me to come back here and write about gender-based violence.
Recently, Joana Yabani, a young, promising lady who was studying biological science at KNUST, was murdered on campus. The name sounded familiar when I first read the news, but I quickly brushed it aside, convincing myself that it was not the same Joana I knew.
The Reality of Gender-Based Violence
Cases like Joana’s represent a broader pattern of violence against women in educational institutions. Research shows that approximately 1 in 5 female college students experience sexual assault during their academic careers, highlighting how these spaces, meant for growth and learning, can become sites of danger and trauma.
My initial reaction to the news was, “Oh no! Someone’s daughter.” I quickly scrolled past the story on my feed to avoid further engagement. As a mother, I didn’t even want to indulge to pretend to understand what her parents were going through. Later in the day, I discovered it was the same Joana I knew, the little girl in my Sunday school years ago, whose parents were vibrant members of our church and with whom we had a very close relationship. This one was close to home.
I have studied Ghana’s local language media landscape and women’s role in this industry for the past five years. This relatively new and rather vibrant media, located mainly in the Ashanti region, attracts lower-middle class women who present their problems to a group of female advocates who mediate them and sometimes provide solutions.
The bulk of complaints they receive are from women and girls experiencing intimate partner violence, rape, sexual harassment, and other forms of gender-based violence. Over time, I have witnessed how some of these women advocates consistently tell women to leave abusive partners. I have come to realize how very simplistic this solution is.
In the past, I thought that empowered women could quickly leave, and if I could tap into this year’s theme, accelerate action. With the benefit of time and growth, I have realized that this is mostly an illusion.
Studies reveal that financial dependency is among the top barriers preventing women from leaving abusive relationships. Even when women earn their own income, economic abuse—where partners control access to money and resources—affects up to 90% of domestic violence survivors. This creates invisible chains that complicate the seemingly simple advice to “just leave.”
I have learned that even with empowerment both financially and educationally, taking action is not as simplistic. Tell me why an educated girl from a good home, whose parents gave her a good life and quality education, and who is considered middle-class will fall victim to intimate partner violence? Was she not empowered enough?
Tell me why a Ghanaian woman living in the US, a developed country, will be shot several times and murdered by her husband after she decided to leave him? Tell me why recently we woke up to the news of Ghana police looking for a woman who they identified as having “a tattoo on her left breast” and who had allegedly kidnapped her own child? Her chilling account of her experience with her ex-husband was frightening but also pointed to the nuanced nature of the issue of gender-based violence and the rhetoric of “leave to live.”
I realized that when it comes to gender-based violence, we are quick to dismiss the experiences of women whom we consider as classed. We think they are experienced, economically stable, can hold their own together, and do not need much advocating.
These three women, two of whom lost their lives, show us that it is not as easy as it sounds. What do you do, for example, if your partner threatens to end your life because they are pained that you left them? Do you relocate to another country or city, or do you change your phone number, address, etc.? Do you even have the means to do that?
The Lethal Period Research by gender- based violence experts indicates that the risk of homicide increases by 75% when a woman attempts to leave an abusive relationship. This “separation violence” represents the most dangerous period in the cycle of abuse, as abusers intensify control tactics when they sense their power slipping away.
In the third woman’s case, we saw the power play of state institutions taking the side of the oppressor because the oppressor is powerful and well-connected. I am afraid we will see more of this in the current political climate.
Accelerating action requires a comprehensive approach. It’s not just about empowering women it’s about fundamentally reshaping how we raise our sons:
Teach emotional intelligence
Challenge entitlement
Normalize healthy relationship dynamics
Recognize when it’s time to let go
This is a collective responsibility. Parents, educators, society all play a crucial role in breaking the cycle of violence.
In Memory and in Hope
To Mr. and Mrs. Yabani, who have suffered an unimaginable loss: Your daughter’s story is a powerful catalyst for change. May her memory inspire us to move beyond rhetoric and commit to genuine, transformative action.
Gender-based violence is not a simple problem with a simple solution. It requires our constant vigilance, our committed courage to challenge deeply ingrained societal norms.
