One in every three females in Ghana has experienced gender-based violence (physical,
sexual, psychological, economic and social violence, harassment and forced confinement
(Domestic Violence Act 232, 2007, GSS, 2016). Notwithstanding government and NGOs’
mitigation efforts, social and economic violence against women persist due to the local
populations’ unyielding adherence to their cultural values and norms. In 2020, about 6,533
teenage pregnancies were recorded in the Upper East Region of Ghana among girls aged 10
to 14 representing a 38-percentage increase of 103 from 2019 to 142 in 2020 (Ghana Health
Service). According to the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Network in
the Upper East Region; poverty and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic among other
things, have fuelled high rates of unintended teenage pregnancies and child marriages in the
Region (myjoyonline.com 2021). Gender-based violence (GBV) is still rife in Kusaal-
speaking communities of the Upper East Region of Ghana (the least urbanised region with
over 79% rural population) due to cultural resistance by the rural people and powerful
traditional leaders (GSS, 2020; Oxfam, 2020).
Kusaal communities with population of about 24,658,823 are found around latitude
11.050000º N and longitude – 0.233333ºN with land space of 2,100 to 2,300 square
kilometres. They have long seasons of drought, poor road networks, lack of potable water and
electricity, instances of schools under trees and only one government hospital (GSS, 2012).
Notwithstanding these challenges, research on the Kusaal language is gradually gaining
attention in the literature (Abubakari 2018; Musah 2018; Eddyshaw 2019 among others).
Below is a map of the Upper East Region where the demarcated pentagon represents the
language speaking areas. The arrows point to the district capital where this research focuses
most.
However, there is an emerging generation of young educated people who have begun
questioning and resisting the efficacy of practices such as child marriage, polygamy, female
genital mutilation, teenage pregnancy, sexual, physical and psychological abuse. Thus, the
outcomes of this project will empower women and girls to speak out as well as pursue
education and or training aimed at making them self-sustaining economically in line with
SDG 16.