Sexual harassment : Uniforms must be designed for tertiary students - DCLD

The Dagbon Centre for Leadership and Development, DCLD is calling on the leadership of tertiary institutions to design uniforms for students as a measure of reducing sexual harassment cases.

According to the Centre, the appearance of females in tertiary institutions influence some lecturers to sexually harass their students.

His comments follow the recent BBC investigative piece released on Monday, October 7, 2019, where some lecturers from the University of Ghana and Lagos were seen taking advantage of their positions to sexually harassed journalists who posed as students.

Speaking on Starr FM, the convener of the group Musa Osman said if tertiary students are made to wear prescribed uniforms, it will minimize sexual harassment 

''The centre came out with this kind of proposal as a result of the recent increase in sexual harassement of young ladies in various tertiary institutions. We have observed that one key issue influencing male staff is the appearances of most ladies, especially during lecture period. Based on that we think if tertiary students are made to wear uniforms it will help curb this problem. All students in tertiary institutions should be made to wear uniforms''.

He added that :"There are minimal cases of sexual harassment in teacher training colleges because students wear uniforms to lectures ''.

He categorically stated that if Ghanaians consider the proposal of tertiary students wearing a prescribed uniform, it will reduce the rate of sexual harassment in our tertiary institutions.

In the case of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo and Dr Butakor from the University of Ghana were cited in BBC Africa Eye's sex for grade documentary. 

READ ALSO: BBC's documentary failed to address 'Sex for grades' issue - Manasseh

Following the release of the BBC sex for grades documentary, the University interdicted the two lecturers involved in the documentary.

One of the lecturers, Prof Gyampo commenting on the action taken by the university stated that he accepts the interdiction in good faith and will submit to the process.

However, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana Prof. Ebenezer Oduro-Owusu has described the BBC sex for grades documentary as a bad taste saying it is affecting international projects of the University.

READ ALSO:BBC Sex for grade - Come forward if you have evidence - Anti-Sexual Harassment c'tee