You can’t fight GBV with speeches — fix the clinics, fix the courts, fix the system!
The issue of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is not just a matter of social injustice; it is a public health crisis that has far-reaching physical, psychological, and economic repercussions. Survivors often encounter chronic pain, reproductive issues, and mental health challenges, which place a burden on families, communities, and healthcare systems. The price that society has to pay for gender-based violence is much more than just the suffering of individuals; it also includes a decrease in production and an increase in the need for healthcare services. At the moment, fragmented systems are failing survivors because the services they provide are operating in silos, which results in poor referral channels, uneven treatment, and insufficient documentation. To tackle this issue, it is necessary for health, legal, and social service organizations to combine their services, standardize their procedures, digitize their data, and guarantee the provision of uninterrupted care that safeguards both physical and emotional well-being. It is also necessary to eliminate financial obstacles; this may be accomplished by specifically exempting GBV cases from the NHIS, facilitating payments via the Domestic Violence Fund, and so enabling survivors to get treatment without experiencing hesitancy linked to the cost. Ghana needs to acknowledge gender-based violence (GBV) not just as a criminal act but also as a public health emergency, placing emphasis on prevention, coordinated treatment, and proactive justice. Special attention should be paid to online violence during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), which is being commemorated by the country. This is to ensure that survivors in the digital age get psychological assistance, dignity, and resilience.
