Gender-based violence is a very habitual phenomenon in our society.

Women and men are both victims but, in most cases, it turns out that the majority of men experiencing gender-based violence from their intimate partners tend to shy away from reporting their experiences.

Determined to contribute to ending any form of gender-based violence, AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine together with its partners, Underground Mining Alliance (UMA), Veolia Ghana, Epiroc Ghana, The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), and others joined the rest of the world to observe the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign.

The campaign, which is commemorated from November 25 to December 10 annually, is a global campaign that serves as a crucial reminder of the persistent struggle against gender-based violence and the need for concerted efforts to protect and support victims.

Read also: Gender-Based Violence on social media: UN women note growing threats to women’s safety

To drum home the message of eliminating gender-based violence in the workplace and their host communities, AngloGold Ashanti rolled out a comprehensive media sensitization drive as well as in-person engagements with professional groups.

Climaxing the whistle-stop awareness creation on GBV was a symposium organized by AngloGold Ashanti, which had the clergy, traditional leaders, political leaders, women groups, interest groups and employees of AngloGold Ashanti and their partners.

In his remarks, the Community Relations Manager of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, Edmund Oduro Agyei said to win the fight against gender-based violence, there was the need to adopt a holistic approach that recognizes that violence of all forms, is a human rights violation that transcends gender boundaries.

He said to demonstrate their strong commitment to eliminating gender-based violence of all forms, AngloGold Ashanti has implemented robust policies and procedures to prevent harassment and violence in the workplace.

He said "Our zero-tolerance policy against any form of gender-based violence ensures that all employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities and encourages them to report any instances of misconduct through our established confidential reporting mechanisms, without fear of being victimized", he added.

The Ashanti sub-regional Director of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Samuel Asante-Yeboah said men and boys can also be victims of GBV, which can include physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse.

However, men are often overlooked, and their cases are trivialized. He urged men to speak out and be allies in the fight against gender-based violence.

Various speakers at the symposium spoke against certain societal attitudes and myths that allow gender-based violence to fester and impede the fight against the phenomenon.