Every year, women’s rights activists and women in general commemorate The 16 Days of Activism against gender violence, an international campaign, to draw attention at the local, national and global levels to the different forms of violence faced by women and the impact it has on them and society as a whole. The campaign which coincides with International Day Against Violence Against Women (November 25) and International Human Rights Day (December 10), were specifically chosen in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights so as to highlight that such violence is a direct violation of basic human rights. The 16 Days of Activism focuses on raising awareness at the local, national, regional and international levels about gender-based violence, strengthening local work, linking local and global work, providing a forum for dialogue and strategy-sharing, pressuring governments to implement commitments made in national and international legal instruments and demonstrating the solidarity of activists around the world. This year, the theme for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women!” This year’s theme emerged from a meeting with experts in the area of violence against women and militarism and seeks to explore some of the deeper socio-economic structures that promote and perpetuate violence against women and girls. In 2010, the United Nations (UN) reported that while the rates of women exposed to violence vary from one region to another, statistics indicate that violence against women is a universal phenomenon. Women are subjected to different forms of violence – physical, sexual, psychological and economic – both within and outside their homes. The consequences of such violence last a lifetime severely impacting a woman’s family and social life. In Ghana, the situation is not different; Violence against women and child abuse exists in the Ghanaian society in alarming proportions, as borne out by increased media reportage. Also, results of research currently available show that one in three women has suffered physical violence from the hands of their intimate partners – having been beaten, slapped or physically punished. (Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre, 1999). Other available data gives an indication of the prevalence of violence against children on the pretext of disciplining them within the home. Ghana is signatory to several international instruments and conventions which bind the Government to take all measures necessary to ensure that women and children are protected from family and societal violence and have recourse to proper redress should they fall victim of such violence. Ghana has also accepted the tenets of Declarations such as the Beijing Platform for Action and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Despite this, reports show that women continue to suffer abuse and torture at the hands of spouses and partners, etc. Everyday, young females and children are raped or defiled by family members or strangers within the wider society. In war zones, media reports also show that women and children have been the most affected by violence in wars / conflicts and more exposed to all forms of violence, particularly sexual violence. Most countries in Africa have experienced wars and it is a known fact that presidential and parliamentary elections have been the main causes of widespread unrest and civil wars in those countries which leave many people, especially women and children traumatised for life. According to the Center for Women’s Global Leadership militarism is “an ideology that creates a culture of fear and supports the use of violence, aggression, or military interventions for settling disputes and enforcing economic and political interests. It also privileges certain violent forms of masculinity, which often has grave consequences for the true safety and security of women, of men who do not conform to these roles, and of society as a whole.” Thus, its evident that the most vulnerable in society who are women and children suffer the most in times of wars and conflicts as they are more often than not left to their fate with no protection from any quarters. Ghana is perceived as a stable country in a very volatile region, however, Ghanaians should keep in mind that every new elections has the potential of bringing war if its citizens particularly political actors and other relevant stakeholders such as the media do not consciously work towards maintaining peace, in every way possible. As we celebrate this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence and also prepare to enter into an election year, The Ark Foundation, Ghana calls on government, political parties, the electoral commission and all relevant stakeholders to work assiduously to ensure a peaceful atmosphere leading up to the 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections as well as a violent free and fair elections. Political parties and the general public should be careful in their choice of words in their political discussions and debates, particularly in the media to ensure that Ghanaians do not live in a tensed atmosphere towards the elections. Again, Government should resource key institutions such as NCCE, Ministry of Information, MOWAC to enable them embark on sensitization programmes to educate the public on the causes and effects of conflicts and the use of violent language on air. The Ark recognizes the progress made by Ghana in developing the National Plan of Action on the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and considering UN’s reflections on the 10th anniversary of the Resolution 1325, we call on government to accelerate its implementation. Also, we wish to remind the media that they play a very important role in shaping societies and in nation building, thus we call on them to be circumspect in their reportage especially on political issues, and we urge all media houses, as much as possible, to apportion equal opportunities to all political parties and prevent the public from using their medium as a platform for getting back at opponents. Last but not the least; we call on all political parties to use existing structures for conflict resolution to address political differences. As we commemorate this year’s 16 days activities, let us ponder over the experiences and aftermath of war on war torn African countries like Somalia, Liberia, Rwanda, Angola, Egypt, Morocco and just recently our neighbour Ivory Coast and work at uniting behind each other in order to maintain and continue to enjoy the peace we have enjoyed over the years. We wish to remind all Ghanaians that it beholds on us all to make sure we contribute tirelessly to maintain peace in our beloved country, GHANA. Finally, we wish to commend the media, all governments and relevant stakeholders who have in one way or the other contributed towards the enactment of policies and laws as well as ensuring their implementation. As Ghana joins the international community to celebrate this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, we say AYEKOO to our fellow women activists, for your immense contribution towards the fight of ending gender based violence. We say, keep the fire burning! Signed: Petra Adu-Parkoh Program Manager Capacity Building and Advocacy Program (CABA)