YOUTH AND VIOLENCE (WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ELECTIONS) AND

FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE) Marian Atta-Boahene, The Ark Foundation, Ghana

Introduction
Ghanas elections in December 2012 will mark the sixth consecutive Presidential and
Parliamentary elections since Ghana returned to democratic rule in 1992. Like has been
the case in other election years, stakeholders and various organizations are seeking to
defend democratic gains by developing strategic interventions to promote free, credible
and violent free elections. Against this backdrop is that unchartered territory that
Ghanas election 2012 will be treading into. This is the Biometric Voter Registration and
Verification System which if properly executed could minimize the occurrence of
election tension triggers from issues such as multiple registration and voting, bloated
voters registers and disputed polling station results. However this technical intervention
can only do so much to ensure peaceful elections. The rest still boils down to the human
factor which includes responsible engagement and dialogue between and amongst
presidential and parliamentary aspirants, the lack of inflammatory radio discussions, the
willingness of the police to act decisively in arresting and prosecuting perpetrators of
electoral offences and instigators of electoral violence and the empowerment of the
youth and youth organizations through information and skills aimed at reducing their
vulnerability to the selfish and cancerous manipulation of politicians.
The youth
As was aptly captured by the former UN General Secretary, Kofi Annan at the World
Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon, August 1998, No one is
born a good citizen, no nation is born democratic. Rather, both are processes that
continue to evolve over a life time. Young people must be included from birth. A
society that cuts itself from its youth severs its lifetime; and is condemned to
bleed to death
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Presented at STAR-GHANA Annual Convention, Feb 2012

The age range that defines a youth varies under law and society around the world. The
National Youth Policy of Ghana and the African Youth Charter define youth as persons
between the ages of 18 to 35 years. According to the 2000 Housing and Population
Census, the youth of Ghana constitute 33 percent of a heterogeneous segment of
Ghanas population with a growth rate of 2.7%. This is a group that constitutes the most
important human resource potential that can contribute significantly to the overall
development of a nation.
Todays youth are Ghanas future. They will one day build our societies economies, and
make decisions that will impact the lives of future generations. However, efforts to
improve governance have often overlooked young people as potential activists and
agents of change in their communities. Indeed, involving the youth in governance will
accelerate the development of any country; give the youth a sense of purpose and
inclusion in critical matters which affect their lives and also reduce the deviant behaviors
in our societies which are mostly associated with the youth. According to the 2008
Prisons Service report 80% of those in jail fell between the ages of 18 and 40 years.
Yet young people have the resourcefulness, responsiveness and resilience to be
exemplary members of governance units whose contributions may increase with age
due to cognitive maturity and accumulated experience.
Violence
According to the World Health Organization, Violence is the intentional use of physical
force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group
or community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death,
psychological harm, lack of development or deprivation.

Elections and Violence

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A white paper released by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in
2002 defines electoral conflict and violence as any random or organized act that seeks
to determine, delay, or otherwise influence an electoral process through threat, verbal
intimidation, hate speech, disinformation, physical assault, forced protection,
blackmail, destruction of property, or assassination.

Elections are necessary for the establishment of a functional democracy; but elections
can also result in flash-points and catalysts for further violence, particularly when fraud
occurs or is believed to have occurred. Conflict can also result from inflammatory and
politicized discussions in the media, exploitations of underlying grievances of economic
and ethnic marginalization by politicians, unresolved issues from previous elections and
failure to correct past mistakes, pre-mature victory claims and non-acceptance of
election losses even when the results are affirmed or verified by neutral third-party
missions and the exacerbation of pre-election tensions.

Electoral conflict and violence have unfortunately become tactics in political contests;
and usually involves the knowledge, ideas, know-how and the inventive minds of the
youth who have been corrupted either by money or power of an adult, lack of education,
the media, and unemployment amongst others.
Youth involvement in electoral violence
The youth are becoming increasingly inclined toward violent behavior and studies have
revealed that young adults have always accounted for a large percentage of violent
crimes including electoral violence. The rates of youth involvement in electoral violence
by country vary around the world, with high rates seen particularly in Africa. Studies
show that male youth engage in crime and violence more than female and their
involvement in crime usually rises in the early teens to mid teens.
Traditionally, the upbringing of a male child exposes him to the use and exploration of
weapons and other tools whiles the female child is socialized to develop her
reproductive role in the community. Adolescence is also a significant period in which
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young people learn future roles and incorporate the values, norms and expectations of
their societies to their gender identity.
The many physical and emotional changes and challenges; the lack of gainful and
relevant activities, the lack of attention and assistance; boredom and frustration; inability
to acquire basic resources; lack of guidance and role models for the youth who are
bursting with youthful exuberance and vitality coupled with the existence of the many
election conflict triggers already mentioned, create the perfect conditions for politicians
to manipulate the youth with lies and stomach politics gimmicks to engage in politically
incited violence to ensure their success.
Acts the youth may engage in include stealing of ballots, destruction of electoral
materials, threats of physical abuse of persons managing the voting process,
intimidation of voters and outbreak of violence.
Effects of electoral violence on women and girls
Considering that The Ark works to ensure the promotion and protection of the rights of
women and children, we are particularly interested in the effect of electoral violence on
that group.

Electoral violence brings about destruction of properties, killings, theft and assault on all
persons particularly women and girls; this could hinder the participation of this group in
politics. Women and girls particularly adolescent girls are at risk of violence because the
disintegration of families and communities leaves them more vulnerable to genderbased violence.

Gender-based violence is violence against women based on their subordinate or

perceived subordinate status in society. It includes any act or threat by men or male
dominated institutions that inflict physical, sexual, or psychological harm on a woman or
girl because of their gender. Acts of gender based violence include domestic violence;
sexual abuse, including rape and unwanted sexual touching.; sexual abuse of children
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by family members; forced pregnancy; sexual slavery; traditional practices harmful to

women, such as female genital mutilation, dowry-related violence; violence in armed
conflict, such as murder and emotional abuse such as coercion and abusive language.

Rape and other forms of sexual violence are also used as weapons of war and conflict
in order to humiliate, punish, control, inflict fear and displace women and their
communities.

Most often, however, they function like other forms of torture and are now used as a
tactical weapon to humiliate and weaken the morale of the perceived enemy, to terrorize
populations or to force civilians to flee. There can also be instances of systematic rape
often practiced with the intent of ethnic cleansing through deliberate impregnation.

Sadly, the vulnerability of women to sexual and gender based violence means that they
are more likely to be victims of violence during electoral disputes. Sexual and genderbased violence against women and girls have been a feature of virtually all recent
violent conflicts, including the conflicts in Sudan/ Darfur, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda
and the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the Kivu region.

Women affected by electoral violence do not only have to suffer psychological traumas
on an immeasurable scale sadly enough; they may become pregnant due to rape; a
situation which could force them to abort the foetus or deliver a child from their rapist
who may have even killed their husbands and families. The stigma of unwanted
pregnancy or "just" rape may lead to separation or divorce from a husband who might
have had to witness his wife being raped. Rape and unwanted pregnancy can also lead
to forced unions or marriages (with their rapist) to increase economic support and some
sense of safety which then ends up in a cycle of rape and violence, unwanted
pregnancies, economic dependence and emotional trauma.

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Another problem and consequence of sexual violence during such conflict could be the
vulnerability of women and girls to HIV/AIDS infection through rape. This could lead to
wives infecting husbands who in turn may infect other women within the context of the
powerlessness of Ghanaian women to negotiate for safe sex within relationships and
marriage.

Again, women and girls fleeing from electoral disputes to seek safety and protection,
could be at risk of sexual violence -- committed by political factions and supporters of a
party, rogues, youth groups and even security forces.

Where Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps spring up, girls and women still can
become vulnerable to transactional sex with volunteer relief workers and formal security
workers in exchange for supplies and security. Without money or other resources,
displaced women and girls may be compelled to submit to sex in return for safe
passage, food, shelter or other resources. Some may head towards urban settings,
possibly in search of the relative security of a densely populated area or in the hope of
obtaining employment. Whatever the motivation, both internally displaced and refugee
women and girls in urban settings are at risk of ongoing exploitation by local residents,
especially because they are less likely than encamped populations to be targeted for
assistance and protection by governments or by humanitarian agencies.

These incidents described may seem unreal and farfetched but a look at the political
documentary "An African Election," based on the 2008 elections is indicative of how
close Ghana came to joining the group of countries ravaged by electoral conflict. It is
sad to say that women and girls experience these forms of abuse even in the absence
of conflict. The only difference being that the perpetrators and reasons for these acts
are not based on political motives.

The way forward: Youth's role in rebuilding affected violent communities

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Now the question is what are some of the ways in which the youth could be empowered
to be more responsible per and post conflict?
Young adults have special needs and special strengths, and they should be seen as
survivors and active participants in creating solutions, not just as victims or instigators of
conflict. In order to ensure that their needs are met, young people should be involved in
community-based relief, recovery and reconstruction programs. This can be achieved
through vocational and skills training that will not only help to enhance their incomes,
but also increase their sense of identity and self-worth in ways that enhance their
psychosocial well-being.

Equal morals and values must be instilled in both male and female youth to help
develop safe and stable relationships. In nurturing the youth, leaders and the society at
large must focus on eliminating cultural and social norms that support all forms of
violence against women and girls. We must seek to educate the youth to use their
knowledge, energy and intelligence in activities that will impact positively on their lives
and the development of this Country.

It is said that the devil finds work for idle hands; so let us all work to keep our youth
busy in activities which will improve their sense of purpose in pushing for a Ghana
agenda and not a party agenda.

Thank you for your attention.

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