Gender Ministry Urges Safer, Inclusive Tertiary Spaces to Curb Harassment and GBV

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) has called on tertiary institutions across Ghana to strengthen efforts toward creating safer, more inclusive environments that prevent harassment and gender-based violence (GBV).

“Creating a safe, inclusive and supportive tertiary institution is not the responsibility of one Ministry or organisation, but it requires collective ownership, commitment, and action from us all,” said Mrs. Ernestina Oduro, Senior Programme Officer at the MGCSP.
“Together we can build an environment where every student can thrive, free from fear, intimidation or harassment,” she added.

Mrs. Oduro was speaking at a two-day multi-stakeholder workshop in Aburi, Eastern Region, focused on addressing sexual harassment and GBV across five major public universities—University of Ghana, University of Education–Winneba, University for Development Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and University of Cape Coast.

The workshop, jointly organised by the POS Foundation and global civil society organisation Amplify Change, brought together policymakers, gender experts, professors, student leaders, Women Commissioners, officers of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, CSOs, and development partners.

Participants assessed gaps in university gender policies and explored strategies for effective implementation. Survivors of harassment were also included in the discussions, which Mrs. Oduro commended as “a step that ensures policies and interventions are grounded in real experiences.”

She described the workshop as timely, providing a platform for stakeholders to reflect, share best practices, and identify ways to close policy gaps.

Dr. Emmanuel Newman, Director of the Tertiary Education Division at the Ministry of Education, acknowledged the persistence of harassment in universities and urged the POS Foundation to extend its advocacy to technical and private institutions. He encouraged the adoption of digital solutions, citing KNUST’s online reporting system that allows victims to discreetly report GBV cases.

Mr. Jonathan Osei Owusu, Executive Director of the POS Foundation, expressed concern over social attitudes that equate financial investment in relationships or marriage with control over partners’ bodies.
“Unfortunately, this same attitude is also seen in people of power, academically, socially, or professionally, who exploit authority to demand access and control over the bodies of others, especially women and young people,” he said.

He emphasised that consent is never transactional, stressing that “no level of financial support, emotional manipulation, or academic mentorship gives anyone the right to another person’s body.” He also called for early education on bodily autonomy, beginning at birth and reinforced throughout life.

Adding her voice, Nana Yopeyo Dadetsu II, Queenmother of Dodowa-Manya, appealed to civil society organisations to intensify community outreach to raise awareness about harassment and GBV.