USAID WA Quarterly spotlights FHI 360 program. The article, by Jacob Larbi, is reprinted here with minor edits.
JANUARY 2012 — In Ghana, female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM) are highly stigmatized and vulnerable to verbal and physical abuse. Laws against sexual solicitation and conflicting information regarding the legality of male-to-male sex further contribute to risk of violence and abuse among Most-At-Risk populations (MARP). In Ghana, documented attacks on MARP range from rape, unlawful arrest, hate crimes and, in a few cases, murder. Threats to personal safety clearly inhibit MSM and FSW access to HIV and other health care-related services.
In response, the USAID/Ghana SHARPER Project, implemented by FHI 360, integrated a formal protection network into its community-based HIV prevention, referral and care activities. The network, known as "M-Friends, M-Watchers," is built around a rapid response system to address rights violations against MARP. In each locality, individuals in positions of power who are "MARP-friendly" are identified and trained as "M-Friends." They include lawyers, police, district assembly members and health care workers. "M-Watchers" are lead peer educators (either MSM or FSW) who are trained to identify and report abuses (within two hours of when they are first notified) to the local implementing partner with which they are affiliated. Full networks have been established in three out of ten regions in Ghana, with 24 M-Friends and M-Watchers trained and deployed within their communities.
One of the critical elements of the system is working with the local federation of female lawyers (FIDA) which has trained and deployed MARP-friendly lawyers in all ten regions of the country to provide legal aid to MSM and FSW. Within the first six months of the program, seven cases of unlawful arrest of MSM have been investigated with legal representation provided to four individuals. Among FSW, police and legal support were provided in the case of the murder of one FSW and stabbing and rape of two others.
Response time from lawyers and police involved were within 24 hours of the case being reported to them. Based on the initial piloting in three regions, the network will be extended to all ten regions in Ghana over the next three months.
For more information, please contact Jacob Larbi, JLarbi@fhi360.org.
PHOTO: Street scene in Accra, Ghana (© Peeter Viisimaa)
