Aspects of Sexual Violence Among the
Ga of Accra: Ethnographic Study of
Concupiscence in Transition
Albert Awedoba and Deborah Atobrah
Inst of African Studies, Univ. of Ghana
INTRODUCTION
• This paper is based on ethnographic study of
urban, peri-urban and rural communities in the
Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
• It is qualitative: centred on one-on-one interviews
with youth, the middle aged and older persons
through the medium of the Ga language.
The Ga, a coastal people, are indigenes of Accra;
culturally they have been influenced by Akan, the
predominant ethno-linguistic group of Ghana.
We take this opportunity to thank UNFPA and the
UCAD II for their support of the study.
Sexual and Domestic Violence
Sexual violence, has been an abiding concern in Ghana
for some time now leading to the setting up of the
Women and Juvenile Unit of the Ghana Police (WAJU)
which became the Domestic Violence and Victims
Support Unit (DOVVSU).
In 2007, after a period of debate and soul-searching the
Parliament of Ghana finally passed the Domestic
Violence law. In the run up to the passing of the law
there was considerable debate about the need for
such a law. The politicians seemed lukewarm but
Gender activists lobbied for the law. In some sectors
of the community there were concerns that the law
could criminalisation of sexual conduct or misconduct
between spouses.
Lack of Success in Containing Sexual
and Domestic Violence
In spite of Government efforts and the work of
NGOs, particularly those that espouse gender and
women’s welfare issues Ghanaian Newspapers
and media continue to report copious episodes of
sexual violence.
It may be that either due to advocacy the media
have become more interested in reporting the
subject, or else the interventions have not
succeeded or the situation has rather worsened.
Screaming Newspaper Headlines
on Sexual Violence in Ghana
1. Father impregnates daughter: 3 Feb. 2010.
http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/201002/41504.asp
2. Farmer jailed 10 years for defiling class three pupil. 8 Feb. 2010, GNA
3. 50-year-old man impregnates 14-year-old foster child. 16 Feb. 2010.
http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/201002/42162.asp
4. Farmer defiles three-and-a-half year old baby: 12 Mar. 2010.
http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/201003/43363.asp
5. 71 year-old farmer remanded for defiling 13-year-old girl. 17 Mar.
2010. http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/201003/43517.asp
6. CEPS official defiles his two daughters and son, 25 Nov. 2010.
http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/201011/56509.asp
7. High prevalence of sexual abuse in Ghanaian schools – Report.15
Apr. 2010. http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/201004/44766.asp
Media Silence over Adult rape Victims
• While the Ghanaian press and media report
defilement of young children; there is
conspicuous media silence over rape involving
adult women.
• This silence gives the erroneous impression that
adults are not raped.
• The few media reports of adults being raped are
like a footnote to an armed robbery case, when
bandits not only rob their victims but also beat
and torment their victims in a show of sadism.
Explaining Non-reportage of Adult Rapes
A Ga cultural expert when asked about rape remarked
that ‘Rape did not exist among Gas, you only rape
babies’. This statement may seem at first sight
shocking but it comes close to the general Ghanaian
attitude of denial where rape is concern.
The general tendency is raise doubts when a woman
reports having been raped.
It is assumed that she is to blame for the episode, or
that she just wants to get even with a man by
accusing him of rape.
On the issue of rape involving a spouse the wife better
not even hint at it in public.
Ga in a Theocracic Settings
Until arrival of European traders – the Dutch, Danes,
English, etc., Ga, a coastal people, lived in small
theocracies ruled by priests answerable to the Ga
gods. Sexual lapses were severely punished and
sexual gratification was possible only through
marriage whose purpose was reproduction.
• Girls married soon after menarche;
• Menarche was also the occasion for a girl’s
education on sex. She was and still is told by a
parent that she should henceforth be careful with
men, as she could be pregnant if touched by a
man;
Secularisation of the Ga
Accra became capital of Ghana in the 19th Century. External
influences led to replace of the theocracy with a secular
state headed by chiefs. This had implications for changes in
Ga reproductive culture. These changes are reflected in the
introduction of new terms, such as:
Tutu ‘prostitute’ (from ‘two, two shillings’) or Ashawo (orig.
Nigerian)
Jole ‘fiancee’ (the English ‘Jolly’)
Lobi ‘dating or courtship’ (from English ‘lobby’)
The evidence is that sexual immorality is prevalent in Accra.
Respondents blame exposure to pornography, poverty and
unemployment, the exchange of sex for money and parental
negligence.
Asymmetry in the language of sexuality
• Ajuamang town breaker/ashifolor roamer
• Menarche /wet dreams (efo ekpa ehe- he has poured it on
himself)
• Toto (immature): the premenopausal vagina
• Soor (fertile): the vagina of a woman in her reproductive
age, considered fertile. Implications for the fallen mean age
of menarche.
• Gbemi (fallen inside): post menopausal vagina, infertile
• Hamor (giver): penis
• Borlenamor (creating {a person}: sex
• Wiermor (grinding): sex
Ga Kabonai
Though it is denied that rape existed, there is a Ga
term for it: ‘Kabonai’. It is a sub-term under
ajuamang (breaking the community). These are
also classified as musu (breach of taboo).
From the emic perspective, we could distinguish
several kinds of rape:
A. Child defilement
1. Male adult defilement of girl child
2. Male adult defilement of boy child
3. Female adult defilement of male child
B. Forcible intercourse with adult female
Ga Respondent Accounts
of Kabonai -Rape
Data on rape was obtained by asking respondents about their
first sexual act.
Discounting wet dreams, today’s youth experienced sex in
their early teens; the middle aged and older respondents
had it in their late teens, but older women said they
experienced sex when they married.
It was found that in several cases a girl’s first sexual act was
by male coercion, though the term kabonai was never
used.
No male respondent admitted to forcing a woman to have sex
with him, though one admitted that in the course of
consensual sex the girl protested, but he continued with
the act.
No male admitted to having been raped by a woman
The Rapist
In the Ga research the rapist was one of the
following:
• A boyfriend who is anxious to have intercourse,
although the girl resists;
• A male whose proposal has been rejected;
• A distant relative;
• Just an acquaintance, but not necessarily a
boyfriend;
• The case of the female who defiles a boy. This
was not described as rape by the respondent.
Raped by a boyfriend
‘I asked him if I would not get pregnant, and he said
no. I did not want to sleep [have sex voluntarily]
with him but because a man is stronger than a
woman, he started struggling with me, then he
broke me (broke my virginity). I did not shout but
was very hurt about the incident. However,
because we had been together for a long time I
dropped it. I became very scared of him and was
afraid I would become pregnant’
Comments by a 21 year old unmarried girl
Loving the friend’s brother
who raped you
He then said I should follow him and that he had something to
tell me. I asked him why, but he said one of his sisters had
brought a video disc ..... We were watching the films when
he put his head on me. ... I angrily asked him to get up and
let’s sit and watch the film because if someone enters and
sees us like that I would not like that. He started doing some
things and he brought forward his mouth to kiss me, so he
was struggling with me to sleep with me. In the end he had
sex with me and I got up and went home. When I was going
home I realised something was flowing like water on me and
I saw it was ‘juice’ (semen) .. It was after that we started
walking as boyfriend and girlfriend. Initially it was his sister
who forced me to him ...,
[Unmarried 22 year old on her first sex experience after JSS]
Visiting and being Raped by a Church Member
I was about eighteen years when I experienced my first sexual
intercourse. [It was] .. a church member who for some time
did not attend church programmes, so I decide to pay him a
visit to find out why he had not been regular at church. We
held a lengthy conversation about church, and issues about
the Bible; I did not realise that it was getting too late,
moreover the power went off so he asked me to pass the
night in his place because .. it was not safe to go home at
that time. During sleep, I was awaken by a hand caressing
me and removing my clothing and I realised it was my
church member... I struggled with him and wanted to shout
.... But he overpowered me and had sex with me. I felt very
sad and immediately I hated him. ... reported the incidence
to my pastor. He was reprimanded and asked to apologise
to me. [28 year old married woman]
Apparently Nice Guy Tricks and Rapes
In those days I did not even consent to it, it was by
force. .. we used to converse but there was
nothing going on between us. He had been
coming around so he was there one day and we
talked; later on he said I should see him off to his
house, but I said it was not something I could do.
He persisted and I decided to go and see him off.
When we were nearing the house I decided to
return but he forced me and .. carried me into his
room and so I had to struggle with him, but he
overpowered me and ... had sex with me. [The 24
year old became pregnant and had to abort]
Features of the Rape Cases
• The stories reveal that girls were not raped by
strangers;
• Rape took place in the room of the rapist;
• Victim made it clear she did not wish to have sex;
• There was a struggle and the girl was over-powered;
• Victims rarely screamed; perhaps they assumed it
was hopeless to scream;
• Culprits were not punished;
• Pregnancies resulted and rapists either refused
responsibility or asked that the foetus be aborted;
• Some victims eventually became the rapist lover.
Boy Child Defilement by Adult Woman
While it is generally assumed that females do not
rape males, and that in the case of defilement a
male is culprit; However, the study came across
evidence to the contrary.
This is the case of a female attempting sexual
intercourse with a child.
The episode can be labelled as ‘rape’ because the
infant victim could not appreciate what was
going on, and could not have consented to the
affair.
Raping a Boy or Masturbating?
The girl went out and then came back .. and started beating me
and playing with my penis. Then she carried me into the room
and asked me to lie on her; she was forcing me and I did not
know what it was that she was about; she put me on her and
was lifting me up and down. I told my mother about it, ... and
she [my mother] decided that she would no longer leave us in
the care of this girl. She must have been about 16-18 and I
was about 12 years old.
The second time was when a relative asked me to accompany
her to their farm to fetch cassava ... we were uprooting the
cassava when suddenly she embraced me and pulled me
down, then began to undress me. She laid on me. At that
point I was grown enough to know about sex and what she
was attempting to do, though I did not show interest.
Conclusions Based on the Findings I
1. Community members seem to think that a
woman who accompanies a man to his room
implies sexual interests in him;
2. Rape victims are despised. They are perceived to
guilty or else irresponsible – case of failure to
listen to maternal warning at their menarche;
3. It is assumed culturally inappropriate for
interested girls to say ‘yes’ to male advances;
therefore no could imply yes.
Conclusions Based on the Findings II
4. Girls being raped by community members seem
to give up, and do not put up enough fight. Some
respondents have remarked on how they fought
off the rapist.
5. Consequently, it becomes possible for a rapist to
argue that victim’s ‘mild’ protests are normal,
nothing to worry about;
6. Victims rarely report the crime and when they do
the culprit is not punished severely;
7. Rapists are rewarded by victims who later fall for
them.
What Should We Do: Recommendations
There is need to define rape more clearly;
The classification of rape victims be expanded to
include boys defiled by female adults.
Behaviour change is necessary: There is need to
address the myths about sexual abuse.
Girls can frustrate rapists; some women fight back.
Girls should be educated to understand that.
Rapists should be punished severely.
Punishing a rapist is not to make him marry victim;
contrary to parents’ beliefs.