Striving for Justice: LEAP Giving Hope to Victims of Gender-Based Violence.

Nabdam: Cynthia (not real name), a 12-year-old class six pupil in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region, was allegedly defiled by a neighbour, leading to severe complications that left her unable to urinate with ease for days. The incident was reported to the police, resulting in the arrest of the culprit after a medical report was issued. However, Cynthia's mother, Madam Apogbila (not real name), a widow, faced financial barriers in affording the GHS500 needed for a medical examination crucial to the prosecution process.According to Ghana News Agency, Madam Apogbila, a beneficiary of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme, received her allowance a week later, which enabled her to pay for the medical examination and manage the transportation costs for attending court hearings. The court confirmed Cynthia's defilement based on the medical report, providing a glimmer of justice and relief for the family.Similarly, Akolpoka (not real name), a 65-year-old widow from the Talensi Dis trict, faced severe physical and emotional abuse from her late husband's relatives after his passing. Deprived of her husband's land due to lacking a male child, she was forced to return to her father's house. With the help of a social worker, Akolpoka reported her plight to the Social Welfare Department and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and was subsequently enrolled onto the LEAP programme.Akolpoka's inclusion in the LEAP programme has allowed her to sustain herself by starting a small provision shop and facilitated her travels to Bolgatanga to meet with CHRAJ officials, who helped reclaim her husband's land for farming. The LEAP stipend has been vital in supporting her transportation needs for these legal and personal matters.The LEAP, initiated in 2008 and managed by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, provides cash transfers to extremely poor and vulnerable households in Ghana. Targeting orphaned and vulnerable children, people with severe disabi lities, and the elderly, the programme aims to alleviate short-term poverty and enhance access to essential services and opportunities. By the end of 2022, LEAP had reached 346,019 households, impacting approximately 1.4 million people. In 2023, the government invested GHS298 million in the programme.Despite LEAP's significant contributions, gender-based violence remains a pervasive issue. Global and national statistics highlight the prevalence of such violence, underscoring the need for continued efforts to address and mitigate these challenges. In the Upper East Region alone, substantial cases of gender-based violence were reported between 2015 and 2022.The absence of human rights institutions in certain districts, coupled with poverty and transportation costs, hinders the reporting and resolution of abuse cases. Calls for decentralizing human rights organizations and establishing special courts aim to make the justice system more accessible and efficient, especially for the underprivileged.Moving for ward, expanding LEAP's reach, increasing education to challenge traditional norms, and operationalizing the Domestic Violence Fund are crucial steps in empowering communities and reducing gender-based violence. Ending such violence aligns with achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal five, which emphasizes gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.