Gender Based Violence Awareness Creation Among Sex Workers In Accra: A Case Study Of The Sharper Initiative

ABSTRACT The study examined gender based violence awareness creation among sex workers in James Town and Abeka Lapaz in Accra. It sought to determine the knowledge, understanding and related experiences following the GBV education rolled out by the SHARPER Project for the most at risk groups: FSWs, MSM and the Law enforcement agencies (LEA). Interviews of focal group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 20 FSWs, 30 MSM and 6 law enforcement officials in James Town and Abeka Lapaz, in Accra. A thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings from the study revealed that FSWs, the MSM and LEA knew of what GBV is including acts and behaviours that constitutes GBV. Though the FSWs and MSM are normally the victims of GBV, they are also sometimes the perpetrators while the clients who are usually the perpetrators become the victims. There is a very deep understanding of GBV among all the groups surveyed attributable largely to the educational initiative of the USAID SHARPER project. The educational campaign has led majority of the research participants to understand their rights as citizens in relation to the GBV and has also made the LEA informed about the group’s rights in the phase of the illegality of the trade they are engaged in. Due to the education received on GBV the attitude of the LEA has changed towards the FSWs but the same cannot be said of the MSM. Though the education have had some impact, the experience of GBV mostly perpetrated by clients of the commercial sex workers still remains very high. What appears to have changed is the victims knowing how to handle the situations due to their level of knowledge and understanding of GBV. It is recommended that the SHARPER Project should cover clients who are within the general population as both victims and perpetrators of GBV so as to eradicate or reduce GBV among commercial sex workers.