Member of Parliament for Builsa South and a former lecturer of the University of Ghana Dr. Clement Apaak says to address the menace of sexual harassment there must be an effective anti-sexual harassment policy in tertiary institutions in Ghana.
According to him, an effective anti-sexual harassment policy will allow students who are victims of sexual harassment to seek redress and get intervention by the University to bring perpetrators involved in such acts to book.
This he said will ensure that the students are able to go on with studies and realize their goals for which they were admitted.
Speaking on Starr FM, Dr. Apaak stated that tertiary institutions should put in strategies to curb the issue of sexual harassment. He said these measures will empower victims and potential victims to report acts of sexual harassment.
''One of the ways to deal with sexual harassment is to have an effective anti-sexual harassment policy and an effective committee leading the implementation of that policy and they clearly lay out guidelines about what sexual harassment means. The mechanism through which students can identify it in various forms and how they can report that and also more importantly to have a mechanism that will protect the students from being victimized because they have the courage to go forward and file a complaint of sexual harassment''.
Dr. Apaak also suggested that the anti-sexual harassment committees in tertiary institutions should engage students especially when they are admitted into the universities in their first year. During their orientation, the anti-sexual harassment committee should make them understand issues in terms of sexual harassment
Again, he said it will serve as a deterrence and put fear in some persons on campuses who may want to exploit students for their selfish interest.
READ ALSO:Â BBC sex for grades: UG interdicts Prof Gyampo and Dr. Butakor
Dr. Apaak also commended the University of Ghana's decision of asking the two lecturers Prof Gyampo and Dr. Butakor who were involved in BBC's latest investigative piece,' Sex for Grades' to step aside for investigations and also the decision of UG to invite former students who might have been victims of sexual harassment to come forward and file complaints of lecturers who might have been involved in such acts.
Meanwhile, a lawyer, Dr. Ismael Norman who has done extensive research into sexual harassment in various institutions in Ghana and abroad says the ‘sex for grades’ investigative piece by the BBC ended prematurely and lacks the elements of sexual harassment.
READ ALSO:Â BBC sex for grades: I accept my interdiction in good faith - Professor Gyampo
He said even though the lecturers who were seen in the video exercised bad moral judgment, it will be impossible to hold them for sexual harassment.
Â