A network that seeks to build synergy among institutions and civil society organisations (CSOs) working to end all forms of sexual exploitation in Ghana has been launched.
Development Diaries reports that the network, Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH), seeks to serve as a learning and exchange platform for stakeholders.
It is understood that PSEAH, under the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) of the Global Fund, Ghana, is made up of members from government agencies, the United Nations agencies in Ghana, development partners, CSOs and principal recipients of global fund grants in the country.
Findings from a national survey conducted by Ghana’s Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations show that the highest cases of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment within the formal environment involved persons aged 22 to 35.
The Director, Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME) at the Ministry of Health, Emma 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.
‘This group represents 67 percent of cases that were cited in the report with most of them occurring during the daytime, working hours’, she added.
The director pointed out some underlying factors for such exploitation, including power play, personal differences and disputes, inappropriate organisation setup, 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 in the world of work and the general society.
Photo source: UNCTAD
