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GHANA WOMEN’S GROUP DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST SEXUAL ABUSE OF GIRLS IN SCHOOLS
A women’s advocacy organisation in Ghana has called on the Ministry of Education to strengthen protections for schoolgirls and ensure that teachers f...
By Wavers News
Zonta Club of Accra calls for stronger protection for girls against sexual abuse in schools.
The Zonta Club of Accra made the appeal amid renewed public attention to allegations of sexual misconduct involving school authorities. The organisation said educational institutions must protect children rather than expose them to exploitation by people entrusted with their care.
The statement follows the suspension of the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Zakaria Abdulai, over allegations of sexual misconduct. Ghana’s Ministry of Education announced the suspension on Tuesday, October 13, pending investigations. The allegations have not, by themselves, established guilt.
CALL FOR INVESTIGATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The organisation urged the education authorities to ensure that allegations of sexual abuse in schools are investigated promptly and impartially.
It called for teachers found to have sexually abused children to face dismissal and prosecution under Ghanaian child-protection and criminal laws.
The group also stressed that professional positions and institutional connections should not prevent investigations or shield anyone found responsible for abuse.
It further called for accountability among school administrators who may conceal abuse, discourage victims from reporting incidents or retaliate against those who speak out.
CONCERNS OVER STUDENTS’ SAFETY
The organisation’s appeal has brought renewed attention to the responsibility of schools to provide safe environments for learning.
Teachers and school administrators occupy positions of authority over students, making appropriate safeguarding procedures and effective reporting systems important for preventing abuse and responding to complaints.
The group argued that protecting girls requires more than public condemnation of sexual misconduct. It called for concrete measures to ensure that complaints are taken seriously and investigated without unnecessary delays.
It also emphasised that survivors should not face blame, intimidation or retaliation for reporting abuse.
SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS
Beyond disciplinary and legal action, the organisation called for immediate protection and psychosocial support for girls who have experienced sexual abuse.
Such support can help survivors access appropriate assistance while investigations proceed. Confidential reporting channels can also make it easier for students to report misconduct without fear that their identities or personal experiences will be unnecessarily exposed.
The group urged the Ministry of Education to strengthen monitoring within schools and ensure that school leaders and other officials are held accountable when they fail to act on credible reports of abuse.
MINISTRY UNDER PRESSURE TO ACT
The appeal places renewed emphasis on the steps education authorities take when allegations of misconduct arise within schools.
In the Obuasi case, the headmaster’s suspension was announced pending an investigation. The outcome of that process will be important in determining the facts and any appropriate disciplinary or legal action.
The advocacy group wants the authorities to demonstrate that allegations of sexual abuse involving school personnel will receive serious attention, regardless of the position held by the person accused.
For students and their families, the central concern is ensuring that schools remain safe places where children can learn without fear of exploitation.
The organisation has called for effective investigations, appropriate sanctions where wrongdoing is established, and sustained measures to protect students from sexual abuse.