Ark Foundation’s Executive Director, Dr Angela Dwamena Aboagye.
The Ark Foundation has called for stronger institutional accountability and effective reporting mechanisms to tackle sexual harassment and exploitation in workplaces and educational institutions.
The Foundation’s Executive Director, Dr Angela Dwamena Aboagye, said the fight against sexual harassment, including the practices of “sex for jobs” and “sex for grades”, must go beyond public discussions to concrete action that guarantees justice for victims and holds perpetrators accountable.
Speaking at the ‘Sex for Jobs Conference’ in Accra, Dr Dwamena Aboagye said recent JoyNews revelations at Obuasi Senior High Technical School underscored the urgency of confronting sexual abuse and exploitation within institutions.
She acknowledged that although the conference was not specifically convened to discuss sexual misconduct in schools, educational institutions must also be held accountable for protecting those under their care.
“Before I take my seat, let me say this: the recent revelations by JoyNews on Obuasi Senior High Technical School, even though we are not here to talk about sex for schools, they are also an institution. So I am on it,” she said.
Dr Dwamena Aboagye explained that the conference had been conceived long before the recent allegations emerged, describing the developments as a disturbing reminder of the need for urgent national action.
“This is not a very nice topic, but when it entered into my spirit, I knew we had to do it, and it turned out to be prophetic because it was way before we had allegations that we’re now dealing with from the Obuasi area,” she said, while stressing that the allegations remained allegations.
Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience working with survivors of sexual harassment, abuse, rape and violence, the Ark Foundation Executive Director shared accounts of people whose lives and livelihoods had been affected by workplace exploitation.
She recounted the case of a young woman who was allegedly sexually exploited by a superior. Despite reporting the matter through official channels, the woman received little support and became so distressed that she contemplated suicide.
Dr Dwamena Aboagye said the experience demonstrated the devastating psychological consequences of sexual harassment, particularly when institutions fail to protect complainants.
She also recounted the experience of a highly skilled man with a disability who allegedly faced sexual advances from his boss. When he reported the matter to the human resources department, his complaint was reportedly dismissed with laughter and disbelief.
Unable to secure protection, the man eventually resigned despite having no alternative employment. He was still searching for a job when she encountered him.
“These are issues that need to be confronted in our society,” she said, emphasising that sexual harassment was not limited to women and that men could also be victims.
Dr Dwamena Aboagye said ending sex for jobs and sex for grades required a deliberate national commitment to “choose dignity over exploitation, justice over silence, and accountability over impunity”.
She described the practices as structural problems that required decisive institutional reforms rather than isolated interventions.
Citing figures attributed to the Ministry of Employment, she said more than 38 per cent of young women entering the job market experienced sexual harassment or coercion during recruitment, while more than 70 per cent of victims never reported the abuse.
She also referenced global estimates indicating that more than one in five employed persons had experienced violence and harassment at work, with young women disproportionately affected.
However, she noted that Ghana had yet to establish the full national scale and economic and social cost of the problem because the country had not conducted an extensive national survey on workplace sexual harassment and abuse.
Dr Dwamena Aboagye said the conference was designed as an accountability platform rather than another forum for speeches.
Institutions represented at the event were expected to explain the administrative measures they had put in place to protect workers and students, demonstrate where their policies had worked or failed, and outline the independent and confidential reporting channels available to victims.
She said such mechanisms must allow complainants to seek help and obtain justice without fear of intimidation or retaliation.
Dr Dwamena Aboagye said the ultimate goal was to build a Ghana where safety was guaranteed, integrity was non-negotiable and merit alone determined success in workplaces and educational institutions.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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