A non-governmental organisation, Amnesty International Ghana, has said it has plans to investigate the truth of sexual harassment on Ghanaian campuses as reported by some students.
The initiative is expected to start in the year 2020 with trained student investigators, as disclosed by Mr Samuel Agbotsey, the Coordinator for Campaign and Fundraising for the organisation.
Mr Agbotsey said, “How many students out of thousand can report of an incident or have heard of a report or experienced sexual harassment from a lecturer?”
“Then we will go to the lecturers and ask them ‘how many of you have experienced sexual harassment from a student and what form has it taken, is it by word, is it by the removal of your trouser or by unwanted kisses or whatever it is?” he concluded.
He disclosed this at the launch of the “Orange Your Campus” initiative, a part of the celebrations to mark the International Day of Elimination of violence against women.
It may be recalled that in October 2019, the BBC Africa Eye’s Sex released a documentary titled “Sex for Grades” which focused on sexual harassment of female students in some universities in West Africa.
Two lecturers from Ghana’s premier university, the University of Ghana, were indicted in the said documentary.
The university’s fact-finding committee, charged to investigate the matter concluded that the two lecturers, Professor Ransford Gyampo and Dr Paul Butakor breached the university’s Code of Conduct.
In a statement released by the university, it said the Committee, “chaired by Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo, a retired Supreme Court Judge, noted in its report to the Vice-Chancellor that there is prima facie evidence of misconduct against Professor Gyampo and Dr Butakor contrary to Paragraph 6.4 of the Code of Conduct for Academic Staff of the University of Ghana, which stipulates that Academic Staff shall at all times comport themselves in ways that will enhance their image and that of the University.”
The two lecturers have since been referred to the disciplinary committee of the university and have been duly summoned to appear before it.
