A former lecturer, Professor Mansa Prah has called for the institution of a policy to tackle sexual harassment in various universities in the country.
Her suggestion follows the BBC’s documentary which indicted some lecturers of the University of Ghana and the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Ms. Prah said this policy will help persons who have been sexually harassed to seek redress.
“The first step is to have a policy in place to deal with these issues. It is important because having a policy also indicates that. that kind of behavior is not acceptable and that people have the right to seek justice and redress. It is difficult but we also have to encourage people affected to come forward,” she said.
Despite her call, she however added that the implementation of a sexual harassment policy may be fraught with several challenges including confidentiality, among others.
“There is also the question of confidentiality. People think that if they come and say something, it is going to spread all over so there are difficulties in implementing sexual harassment or anti-sexual harassment policy.
We have to do a lot more work on the ground. We have to encourage students to speak up,” she said.
So far, the two lecturers at the University of Ghana implicated in the video – Prof. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Kwame Butakor have denied the claims.
It is expected that more lecturers will be implicated in the exposé.
Sex for Grade scandal
The documentary was commissioned in response to allegations of sexual harassment by lecturers that have hovered over tertiary institutions.
After initial interviews, BBC Africa Eye sent undercover journalists posing as students inside the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana.
The lead reporter in the exposé, Kiki Mordi, said she was also a victim of sexual harassment when she was in school.
The BBC said its female reporters were “sexually harassed, propositioned and put under pressure by senior lecturers at the institutions” while they were wearing secret cameras.
