President of the National Fish Processors and Traders Association (NAFPTA), Regina Solomon, has expressed concern over a disturbing trend in fishing communities across the country.

According to her, incidents of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment are gaining grounds in these areas.

Her utmost concern was with how transactional sex has become rampant in fishing communities.

Transactional sex involves the exchange of sex for gifts or favours, which is, in this case, the exchange of sex for fish.

Highlighting the challenges of women and young girls in fishing communities as part of activities to mark 16 days of activism in Keta, she bemoaned the situation and said young girls are exchanging sex for fishes.

“Before a girl gets fish to sell at any canoe, unless ‘she changes meat with fish.’ You either have to be the [fisherman’s] girlfriend or have an amorous relationship with the fisherman, otherwise you will not get fish to buy from any canoe,” she said.

“It’s going on everywhere and this makes the small girls marry the older people having the canoe because she wants fish.”

Madam Solomon expressed her annoyance further by stating that these relationships frequently result in unwanted pregnancies and bemoaned the fact that young girls who experience this are frequently abandoned by the men who impregnate them.

“They [the men] won’t care for you [the young girls]. The fish they gave you is what they expect you to use to cater for the child,” she said.

Her other concern was with parents of young girls marrying off their children to fishermen in exchange for fishes.

“Also, when the fishmongers get old, they give their children, about 15 years old, to the owners of the canoes or fishermen because they want fish,” she added.

Based on these, she concluded that GBV is getting out of hand in fishing communities and must be stopped.

The Director of Economic Growth Office of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was also at the event and highlighted the role of stakeholders in ending GBV.

“I urge you all to do justice, unite, fake action, be an advocate, a helper, and a voice against abuse. Today let’s celebrate, speak and build awareness,” he said.

On his part, the Keta MCE appealed to the USAID to support education, health, Agric, Women Empowerment, and Water transport projects, to enhance the livelihoods of fisherfolks to curb Gender Based Violence (GBV).

“It is our expectation that when there is a great component in the areas listed above, families will be able to enjoy better standards of living and the issue of great GBV will be minimised,” he said.

Source: The Independent Ghana