What is GBV and how does WACA ResIP 2 aim to address its issues?

Any damaging act committed against an individual's will based on socially constructed gender disparities qualifies as Gender-Based Violence (GBV). GBV includes acts that cause physical, psychological, or sexual injury or suffering; threats of such acts; coercion; and other forms of deprivation of liberty, whether they take place in a private or public setting. Practically, women and girls are disproportionately affected by GBV, which can take many different forms, such as physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.

Major infrastructure / environmental-based investment projects such as the WACA ResIP 2, characterised as a high-risk project by the World Bank, pose an avenue for GBV-related activities/cases usually affecting community members and workers. The migration/influx of workers (male/female) can intensify the risk of GBV within project implementation sites/areas. These workers, due to their relatively higher disposable resources, can trigger sexual harassment, assault, and abusive transactional relationships, further compounded by the fact that they frequently travel without their families. 

In this regard, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) grievances remain of utmost priority within the implementation outlook of the WACA ResIP 2. Relevant national institutions such as the Domestic Violence & Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service and the Judicial Service, together with the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), shall address GBV grievances with a high level of confidentiality and an inclusive referral pathway for the rehabilitation of victims.