“Sexual, racial, gender violence and other forms of discrimination and violence in a culture cannot be eliminated without changing culture.” – Charlotte Bunch
Culture is dynamic and as such, as society evolves, so must culture. Cultural orientation; such as “the woman’s place is the kitchen, man is supposed to take care of the wife and children” among others, have been identified as major factors contributing to Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Ghana.
GBV refers to harmful acts, physically or emotionally, directed at an individual based on their gender. In some cases, culture is used to justify GBV through our traditional beliefs and practices.
In some parts of Ghana, a man coming from a farm is seen holding just a cutlass, whilst the wife will be carrying foodstuff and firewood on her head with a child at her back and holding the hand of another. This is the typical life in the countryside.