Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has condemned sexual exploitation in workplaces and academic institutions, insisting that no individual should be subjected to sexual harassment as a condition for securing employment or advancing their career or education.
She said addressing the menace requires collective responsibility, sustained vigilance and a commitment from both public and private institutions to protect individuals from abuse and exploitation.
The Vice President made the remarks after attending the Sex for Jobs Conference organised by The Ark Foundation Ghana under the theme, “Promoting Accountability and Protecting Those Who Have Suffered Abuse.”
The conference focused on addressing sexual exploitation in workplaces and educational institutions, as well as promoting accountability and protection for victims.
In a statement following the event, Professor Opoku-Agyemang stressed that nobody should be compelled to endure sexual harassment to secure employment opportunities or achieve professional and academic advancement.
“Nobody should have to endure harassment to secure employment or to achieve professional or academic advancement,” she stated.
She noted that preventing such abuses required daily vigilance from government officials, public and private institutions, as well as ordinary citizens.
According to her, the responsibility must extend beyond workplaces and educational institutions to include homes, where attitudes and behaviours that tolerate exploitation must also be challenged.
The Vice President acknowledged that Ghana had established laws, policies and institutional frameworks to address sexual harassment and protect victims, alongside international human rights and workplace protection standards.
However, she identified the consistent enforcement of these protections as one of the country’s major challenges.
She said although government had recently undertaken measures to strengthen gender equity and social protection through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, legislation alone could not guarantee the safety of vulnerable individuals.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang therefore called on public and private institutions to deliberately develop organisational cultures that reject sexual exploitation and uphold professional standards.
She further emphasised the need for clear codes of conduct, sustained public education and institutional leadership willing to take decisive action whenever wrongdoing was established.
The Vice President also commended the Executive Director of The Ark Foundation Ghana, Dr Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, and her team for their continued advocacy and efforts to protect individuals vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
She praised the organisation for sustaining its work in promoting accountability and supporting those at risk of abuse.
Her remarks underscore the need for stronger institutional accountability and effective enforcement of existing laws to ensure that workplaces and educational institutions remain safe environments where employment and academic opportunities are determined by merit rather than sexual demands.
By Gifty Boateng