A network that seeks to build synergy among institutions and organisations working to eliminate all forms of sexual exploitation and harassment in the country has been launched in Accra, Thursday.
The Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) network would, among others, serve as learning and exchange platform for stakeholder’s while empowering victims of sexual abuse to freely report the act without any inhibition.
Under the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) of the Global Fund, Ghana, the network draws membership from government agencies, the United Nations agencies in Ghana, development partners, civil society organisations and principal recipients of global fund grants in the country, to attain zero tolerance for sexual abuse and harassment.
The Director, Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME) at the Ministry of Health, Ms Emma Ofori Agyemang, who launched the network on behalf of the sector minister, decried the high incidence of sexual violence and harassment in the country.
She noted that a lot of such cases went unreported, with justice often not served in the few reported incidences.
Sharing findings of a latest national survey conducted by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations into the matter, Mrs Agyemang, said the highest cases of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) related issues within the formal environment involved persons aged 22 to 35.
“This group represents 67 per cent of cases that were cited in the report with most of them occurring during daytime, working hours. SEAH issues are real, they cut across the formal and informal sectors of the economy and must be taken seriously,” she added.
The director pointed out some underlying factors for such exploitations, including power play, personal differences and disputes, inappropriate organisation set-up, gender stereotype and socio-cultural norms that support the act.
She encouraged the network to work at establishing comprehensive structures right from the national level of decision-making to support the agenda of eliminating sexual violence and harassment at the world of work and the general society.
The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Anthony Ofosu, who is Chairperson of the Network stressed the importance of clear-cut rules and guidelines to regulate the behaviour of individuals especially at the workplace.
Sexual exploitation, he said given the different forms under which it occurred, ought to be recognised as a risk which needed to be mitigated and “to do this, clearly defined policies and guidelines are necessary to protect victims.”
“It is envisaged that beyond the Global Fund specific activities, the network will drive the process for us to put in place policies and guidelines that will protect our staff and clients from SEAH, set up reporting processes for SEAH, provide support for SEAH victims and ensure a safe environment for all those we interact with in our service delivery,” Dr Ofosu noted.
The CCM Ethics Officer, Catherine Bentum-Williams, appealed to all and sundry to join a social media campaign dubbed ‘PSEAH is Everyone’s Responsibility’ for a SEAH-free society.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
