Teachers receive training 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. 

The 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 Programme (IVLP) Impact Awardee.

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

The training, held in Accra, covered essential aspects of GBV, including understanding its dynamics, recognising psychological impacts, leveraging technology for intervention and employing age-appropriate communication strategies.

Understanding GBV

ACP (rtd) Dr Patience Quaye, a U.S. Embassy Ghana GBV Champion and Fellow of Missing Children Ghana led the session on understanding GBV, where she emphasised that it was a crime and highlighted the importance of educating learners, supporting survivors and ensuring that perpetrators face justice.

She addressed the potential for teachers to be perpetrators and discussed the importance of school policies and procedures for reporting and addressing incidents.

Dr Dzifa Abrah Attah, a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School and Fellow of Missing Children Ghana, facilitated the session on the psychological impacts of GBV.

She encouraged the teachers to familiarise themselves with their school’s mental health resources, consider referrals, and follow-ups and provide academic accommodations during students’ recovery.

 She also led participants in planning a student-led GBV awareness campaign, empowering students to prevent, protect, and seek support in cases of GBV.

Use of technology

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

He emphasised the role of technology in preventing GBV, creating safe spaces and supporting survivors.

He took participants through existing technologies, including panic buttons, voice apps, medical apps, web-based applications and various AI-assisted tools designed to combat GBV.

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

“Many of our students may be experiencing TFGBV, and we need to be vigilant, especially given that almost every student has a phone and spends a significant amount of time online,” he said and advocated for the development of locally relevant apps tailored to address the specific manifestations of GBV in schools.

Regina Asamoah, the IVLP Impact Awardee and Founder of Missing Children Ghana conducted a session on effective communication strategies for addressing GBV in schools.

She introduced the Role-Playing Teaching Technique as an effective tool for age-appropriate and inclusive communication, where learners were encouraged to “act out” their experiences of GBV.

This method, she said, provided an alternative for younger learners who may find it difficult to verbalise their abuse. 

Communicating effectively    

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, saying this would significantly contribute to the sustainability of the project.

Raphael Kweku Segbefia, a teacher at St Augustine R/C Junior High School, said, “This programme has enlightened me on the scope of this issue and has given me the platform to learn how to use technology to address it. I am a proud advocate and I am going to work for the success of this project.”

The training concluded with participants developing action plans for their schools and receiving certificates of participation.