Teachers Trained To Combat GBV In Schools

Twelve teachers from ten schools in the Greater Accra Region have been trained as Gender Advocates, equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV) within their schools.

This training is part of the “Young Voices Matter: Empowering Boys and Girls in the Fight Against GBV” project, led by Regina Asamoah, an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Impact Awardee.

The project is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Educational and Cultural Affairs, with Meridian International Center serving as the implementing partner.

The comprehensive training, held at the IPMC Service Center in Adabraka, covered essential aspects of GBV, including understanding its dynamics, recognising psychological impacts, leveraging technology for intervention, and employing age-appropriate communication strategies.

U.S. Embassy Ghana GBV Champion and Fellow of Missing Children Ghana, ACP (rtd) Dr. Patience Quaye, led the session on understanding GBV.

She emphasised that GBV is a crime and highlighted the importance of educating learners, supporting survivors, and ensuring that perpetrators face justice.

Dr. Quaye provided participants with insights into the definition, statistics, and common signs and symptoms of GBV, particularly in students.

Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School, Dr. Dzifa Abrah Attah, guided the teachers in identifying psychological traits in learners that may indicate they are experiencing GBV, and taught them how to provide emotional and psychological support.

Head of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Ghana, Prof. Samuel Kojo Kwofie, educated teachers on the use of technology to address Gender-Based Violence.

Prof. Kwofie also discussed Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), which includes cyberstalking, cyberbullying, doxxing, cyber mob attacks, image-based abuse, online impersonation, sextortion, online harassment, revenge porn, and shallow fakes.

Founder of Missing Children Ghana, Regina Asamoah, introduced the Role-Playing Teaching Technique as an effective tool for age-appropriate and inclusive communication, where learners are encouraged to “act out” their experiences of GBV.

This method provides an alternative for younger learners who may find it difficult to verbalise their abuse. Ms. Asamoah urged teachers to teach their students how to communicate their experiences effectively.

Ms. Asamoah, also a Gender Advocate, expressed her hope that the trained teachers will become Gender Advocates in their respective schools, applying the knowledge and skills gained during the workshop.

Source:dailyguidenetwork.com