In Ghana, sexual assaults of any form including rape, defilement, unnatural carnal knowledge, and harassment are regarded as serious offenses (i.e. first degree felony), these are liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not less than five years and not more than 25 years (Criminal Offenses Act 1960, Act 29; Criminal and other Offenses (Procedure) Act 1960, Act 30). For work to be devoid of issues of SEAH, UNFPA Ghana trained Focal persons, Human Resource Managers, and other partners last year to ensure that implementing partners fully understand and implement the NO tolerance on SEAH Policies in their various working environments.
In his opening address, the Regional Coordinating Director for the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mr. Frederick Agyemang thanked the participants for being part of the training session. He acknowledged the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for supporting the event and also made reference to the WRCC and UNFPA-UNICEF Joint program which seeks to create awareness and address some of the social issues in the region.
The two presentations made on Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and harassment were led by Ms. Maribel Okine (Regional Director, Department of Gender) and Mr. Opoku Boateng. Ms. Okine’s first presentation focused on Basic Gender Concepts and Power and Gender Based Violence (GBV). For example, when to know when one is been sexually harassed at the workplace and what the laws say about sexual harassment. Mr. Opoku Boateng made the final presentation on the NO means NO Programme. He demonstrated to participants the various scenarios under which a NO actually meant NO, where a person does not give full consent, it meant NO.
Mr. Michael Abayateye, the Human Resource Director at the WRCC made a final presentation on PSEA Complaint Mechanisms. Processes for Addressing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in offices. These were; looking into the Code of Conduct, organizational policies and procedures, creating awareness, investigating of allegations, and how to respond to the investigations. The code of conduct explicitly states where Sexual harassment falls and the punishment to be meted out.
