POS Foundation Leads Sexual Harassment  Conversation on varsity campuses

**University of Ghana - Legon**

A large majority—80%—of sexual harassment cases at the University of Ghana involve students. This data shows that most incidents are student-on-student, not faculty-related.

Mabel Sowatey is a faculty member in the Sociology Department. She also serves on UG’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee. She shared these insights during a focus group meeting at UG, organized by POS Foundation and the Student Representative Council (SRC) Women’s Commission.

Ms. Sowatey described various forms of harassment. These include unsolicited advances, persistent propositions, inappropriate gestures, and excessive attention. Other examples are hooting, whispering, sending explicit photos, assault, and rape.

She stressed the importance of reporting such cases to university authorities and police. Some offenses like rape are criminal acts. “Consent must be freely given,” she stated firmly.

Students cannot engage in relationships with lecturers. Anyone experiencing harassment should feel empowered to report it.

UG is committed to addressing sexual harassment with functioning CCTV systems and improved resolution mechanisms. “We do not want harassment to disrupt a student’s education,” Sowatey emphasized.

She acknowledged false reporting incidents but noted that action follows thorough investigations.

**Campaign to Raise Awareness**

Jonathan Osei Owusu is the Founder and Executive Director of POS Foundation. He said their campaign aims to raise awareness about sexual harassment on campuses. The goal is to protect students’ rights and create a safe academic environment.

Owusu highlighted that sexual harassment affects students, faculty, and staff globally. Many Ghanaian universities have anti-harassment policies but struggle with implementation due to poor reporting channels and slow responses.

“The National Accreditation Board has provided guidelines for effective policies,” he noted. However, there remains a gap between policy creation and practice.

Many students face stigma when reporting incidents. University authorities often show apathy towards these cases as well.

He advised students against making disrespectful gestures or comments towards their peers.

**Addressing the Issues**

The focus group meeting aimed to educate stakeholders about sexual harassment's forms and consequences. It also reviewed existing policies for alignment with international standards.

Additionally, it assessed current reporting mechanisms for complaints about harassment. The initiative seeks first-hand insights to refine policies and train university staff on prevention strategies.

POS Foundation will organize one-day seminars across five universities: KNUST, UCC, UG, UEW, and UDS. These seminars will educate students and faculty while assessing current policies for improvement.