GES, Eduwatch Pledge Stronger Action to Combat Sexual Harassment in Schools
The Ghana Education Service (GES) and education think tank, Africa Education Watch, have agreed to strengthen the implementation of the Guideline for Addressing Sexual Harassment in Secondary Education Institutions across the country.
The commitment was made yesterday during an engagement between Eduwatch and GES Management at the Service’s Headquarters in Accra.
The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Director-General, Management Services, on behalf of the Director-General, with participation from Deputy Director-Generals and Directors from the Girls’ Education Unit, Special Education Division, Schools and Instruction Division, SHEP Division, Planning, Guidance and Counselling, and Monitoring and Evaluation, among others.
The meeting discussed findings from a scoping study conducted by Eduwatch with support from Oxfam.
The study assessed awareness, dissemination, institutional preparedness, capacity building, reporting systems, case management, and implementation bottlenecks relating to the Guideline.
Presenting the findings, Eduwatch’s Executive Director, Kofi Asare, called for urgent action to strengthen policy education and awareness in schools, including the use of clear reporting visuals.
He also recommended institutionalising mandatory refresher training for Safe Space Focal Persons, Guidance and Counselling Coordinators and safeguarding committee members.
Other recommendations included streamlining staff-related case procedures, formalising collaboration with DOVVSU, Social Welfare, PTAs and civil society, and introducing criminal background checks into teacher recruitment processes.
GES welcomed the findings and acknowledged Eduwatch’s contribution to safeguarding and gender-responsive education advocacy.
Management affirmed the need for more contextual sensitisation on sexual harassment, stronger implementation of the Safe School Policy and Sexual Harassment Guideline, and enhanced implementation at both JHS and SHS levels.
The Service also pledged to roll out nationwide in-school visuals on reporting processes, improve capacity building for teachers and learners, and strengthen online reporting mechanisms that protect confidentiality and allow bystander reporting.
Read the full report here: Assessing Sexual Harassment Guideline in SEIs
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
