CEGENSA Partners CAMFED to Host Gender-Based Violence Awareness Programme at Odorgonno Senior High School

The Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA), in partnership with CAMFED Ghana, has organised a sensitisation programme on gender-based violence (GBV) and cyberbullying for students of Odorgonno Senior High School. 

The outreach is one of CEGENSA’s ongoing efforts to extend its advocacy on gender-based violence beyond the UG campus to secondary schools across the country.

Opening the event, the Headmaster of Odorgonno Senior High School, Mr. Patrick Adu Asare, encouraged students to take full advantage of the session. “Anything that would help you leave the four walls of this school better is what we embrace” he said.

The Director of CEGENSA, Prof. Deborah Atobrah, urged students to report abuse promptly and, in cases of rape, to preserve evidence. 

‘‘Don’t be too quick to go and wash away that evidence… even if a part of your dress gets torn during the struggle, keep it as evidence,” she advised, assuring students that school counsellors are always available to support them.

The programme was organised into two training sessions.

The first session, led by Clinical Psychologist at UG’s Careers and Counselling Directorate, Ms. Harriet Adjei, focused on cyberbullying. She shared alarming statistics, noting that 90 percent of bullying incidents among students are perpetrated by peers, while 67 percent of victims are reluctant to report such incidents due to fears that no action will be taken. 

“Anyone can be a victim or a perpetrator,” Ms Adjei stressed. 

“The choices we make on platforms like WhatsApp, TikTok and Instagram can cause lasting harm” She reiterated.

She further educated students on the emotional and psychological effects of cyberbullying and offered practical ways to avoid becoming perpetrators.

In the second session, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, Dr. Johnny Andoh Arthur, discussed various forms of violence, including emotional, sexual, domestic violence, and forced marriage. He cautioned against normalising such acts, especially when they are portrayed in the media or observed at home. “Males are vulnerable and they die faster than females,” he noted, adding, “Anything you’ve learnt, you can unlearn it. We are training you to become leaders of change.”

 Dr. Andoh Arthur also highlighted the support available from organisations such as CAMFED, including shelters for victims of abuse.

The event featured a student-led poetry recital advocating an end to gender-based violence. It concluded with confidential counselling and support sessions, providing a safe space for students to seek help and guidance.