Most survivors hesitate when asked why they did not pursue their abuse cases, not because they lack an answer but because the answer is layered, painful and rooted in a reality many refuse to see.
Take a story of a woman who rushed her child to the hospital after the father had physically assaulted him.
The doctor treated the child, but then came the words that changed everything:
“You will pay GH¢400 for this, and if you press charges, it might go to court and the father of the child could be jailed.”
In that moment, it was not about money; it was about fear, it was about survival, it was about the weight of consequences that fall disproportionately on women who dare to speak up.
Financial, emotional and social cost
Quietly, she paid for the medication and left. If the child could be treated and made well, that was all that mattered.
We live in a society where justice comes at a cost: financial, emotional and social.
For many women, the decision not to press charges is not about forgiveness or weakness. It is about navigating a system with too many arrows pointing against them.
There is the fear of being blamed by family and friends, the stigma of being “the woman who reported the father of her children.”
There is the relentless whisper: What will people say?
Then comes the economic reality: many women are financially dependent on their abusers.
Reporting them could mean losing their source of income, shelter or support.
There are not enough safe shelters for women and girls, but there will always be medical bills, endless court adjournments and the ever-present stigma.
So, many stay, or they leave quietly.
Silence, for many women, is not a choice born of apathy but of exhaustion.
It is not that they do not want justice; it is that justice, as it stands, is a luxury they simply cannot afford.
Maybe, instead of asking “Why didn’t you report?” society should begin to ask, “What made you feel you couldn’t?”
Only then can we begin to build a system that truly protects survivors rather than punishing them for seeking help.
We are ready to listen
If you have ever felt you could not report your abuser, your voice matters.
Your story can help us advocate for a system that is more compassionate, responsive and just.
Call FIDA on 020-7685685, 055-4121205 or 055-8791299.
Your anonymity is assured.
Because healing begins when someone finally listens
The Writer is a Programmes Manager, FIDA-Ghana
