Ghana’s Ministry of Education has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment in universities and tertiary institutions, urging educational institutions to strengthen measures that protect students, lecturers and other staff from sexual misconduct.
Deputy Director of the Ministry’s Tertiary Directorate, Ms Harriet Krakani, said sexual harassment has no place in Ghana’s education system and called for stronger prevention, reporting and accountability mechanisms across tertiary institutions.
She made the remarks on August 16, 2026, at a multi-tertiary stakeholder conference in Accra held under the theme, “From Policy to Practice: Strengthening Survivor-Centered Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response in Tertiary Institutions.”
The conference was organised by the Perfector of Sentiments Foundation in partnership with Amplify Change and brought together stakeholders from major public universities, including the University of Ghana, KNUST, University of Cape Coast, University of Education, Winneba, and the University for Development Studies.
Participants assessed existing systems for preventing and responding to sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in Ghanaian universities, with particular attention to gaps in reporting, investigations and institutional support for survivors.
Education Ministry Calls for Stronger Sexual Harassment Policies
Ms Krakani acknowledged that several tertiary institutions have established policies and guidelines designed to address sexual harassment. However, she stressed that having written policies alone is not enough to guarantee the safety of students and employees.
She urged universities and other tertiary institutions to turn their policies into effective everyday practices by providing trained personnel, functional reporting systems and transparent accountability mechanisms.
The Ministry of Education also called for stronger preventive measures and safe, confidential reporting channels that allow survivors and witnesses to report sexual harassment without fear of intimidation, retaliation or stigma.
Ms Krakani emphasised the need to treat survivors with dignity throughout reporting and investigation processes. She further called for perpetrators of sexual misconduct to face fair but effective disciplinary action in accordance with established institutional procedures.
Push for Safer Universities in Ghana
The stakeholder conference forms part of broader efforts involving government institutions, universities and civil society organisations to tackle sexual harassment in tertiary education and create safer learning and working environments.
The Ministry of Education’s position highlights the need for universities to move beyond policies on paper and implement practical systems that prevent sexual misconduct, protect survivors and promote accountability across Ghana’s tertiary education sector.
Source: newsthemegh.com