Sexual abuse victims must report without fear of intimidation or retaliation - Veep

Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called for stronger accountability mechanisms and effective institutional measures to protect victims of sexual exploitation in workplaces and educational institutions.

She stressed that practices such as “sex for jobs” and “sex for grades” constitute serious abuses of power undermining human dignity and national development.

Addressing a conference at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, the Vice President said Ghana has sufficient legal and policy frameworks to address sexual harassment and exploitation.

She noted that the protections are enshrined in the 1992 Constitution and the Labour Act, 2003, as well as international standards including the International Labour Organization Convention 190 on violence and harassment.

“Our responsibility as citizens is to ensure that what happens in our workplaces and schools reflects those high standards,” she stated.

The Vice President described sexual exploitation in workplaces and academic institutions as an “abuse of power, an erasure of bodily autonomy, and a breach of institutional integrity”.

She warned that the consequences extended beyond the immediate victims, resulting in economic and social losses including a reduced productivity, wasted talent and decline in public confidence in institutions.

“In short, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, sexual exploitation is a drain on national development,” she emphasised.

Highlighting government's interventions, she disclosed that an Affirmative Action Regulations 2026 has recently been launched to support the implementation of the Affirmative Action Act, 2024.

She also pointed to a revised National Gender Policy launched by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection which provides for stronger institutional responses to gender-based violence.

According to her, government, in partnership with the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre, has also trained “stakeholders from the judicial, health and social sectors to strengthen the prevention of and response to gender-based violence and sexual harassment”.

She pledged government’s commitment to establishing centres and shelters to support victims of abuse.

On the educational front, the Vice President said the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service has established procedures for reporting, investigating and sanctioning sexual harassment in schools.

She further noted that national guidelines have been developed to provide tertiary institutions with a framework for developing and enforcing their own sexual harassment policies.

However, she cautioned that the existence of laws and policies alone will not eliminate sexual exploitation if it is without commitment to enforcement and accountability.

“Government has a duty to establish the needed legal and policy frameworks, ensure that the law is enforced, and provide avenues for redress for those who suffer abuse. But policies can only go so far without implementation,” she said.

The Vice President further stressed the need for independent and confidential reporting channels, particularly in situations where alleged perpetrators exercise authority over employment, promotion or academic progress.

She maintained that victims must be able to report abuse “without fear of intimidation, retaliation or even the loss of opportunity”.

“There must be effective enforcement. This means complaints being investigated promptly, fairly, and thoroughly, and those found responsible facing the appropriate sanctions,” she demanded.

She also called on public and private institutions, workplaces and educational establishments to demonstrate leadership by putting in place proper safeguards, taking complaints seriously and ensuring survivors receive the necessary support.

“At the very least, every workplace, public institution, and educational establishment must be a place where people can pursue their ambitions without fear of sexual harassment or exploitation,” she asserted.

The Vice President urged government, institutions and citizens to work collectively towards ending the normalisation of sexual exploitation, insisting that such practices must be recognised as abuses of power rather than unfortunate realities of everyday life.

She expounded that sexual exploitation undermines confidence in institutions, robs victims of their dignity and denies the country of fully benefiting from the potential of its people.

“Behind every account of sexual harassment or exploitation, there is a human being whose ambitions, confidence and sense of security may have been profoundly affected.

“We owe them and ourselves institutions that take their complaints seriously, respect their dignity and privacy, and hold those who abuse positions of authority accountable”, she urged.

The Vice President hoped for a renewed commitment to confronting exploitative practices and creating safer environments.

“I hope that when we leave this conference, we will carry with us a renewed determination to confront exploitative practices and make our societies safer places to live, learn, and work,” she concluded.