Violence against women in Winneba in the Effutu Municipality

Abstract

Over the years, in addressing issues of violence against women, the focus had always been on men as the perpetrators and women as victims. However, that is not always the situation. Women also perpetrate violence against their fellow women. This study examined violence against women in Winneba in the Effutu Municipality. The study focused on woman as victims and perpetrators of violence against women. The study explored the forms, causes and effects of violence against women as well as the support seeking behaviour of victims. The study draws upon the ecological model which considers violence against women as an outcome of interacting factors at four levels and the social learning theory which explain the phenomenon as the effect of generational transmission of violence. The qualitative research approach was employed. The research design adopted for the study was phenomenology. A total population of seventeen (17) respondents were involved in the study. In obtaining data, the interview guide was administered to the respondents who were sampled using the purposive and snowballing techniques. The study revealed that unequal power relations, suspicion of infidelity, experiencing violence as a child were the main reasons why women perpetrate violence various forms of violence against women in Winneba while poverty and single parenting made other women victims of such violence. Also, there was a general consensus among the participants that violence against women had negative consequences on both victims and perpetrators. However, most victims of violence against women did not report to the appropriate quarters and the few who did found the whole process to be tedious and time consuming. Based upon these findings, the study recommended that stakeholders such as DOVVSU, Ministry of gender, child and social protection and CHRAJ formulate policies to address risk factors at the individual, relationship, community and societal levels. These stakeholders should also encourage victims of violence against women to report violence to the appropriate institutions by creating awareness on the existence of such institutions and making the process less tedious. Religious and non- governmental organisations within the communities in Winneba in the Effutu Municipality should embark on women empowerment programmes that will help reduce women dependency on others which will in turn help reduce violence against women.