By Agnes Ansah
Accra, May 28, GNA – Gender and girls’ rights activists have proposed fines ranging from GH¢24,000 to GH¢60,000 for perpetrators of “sex-for-jobs” offences under President John Mahama’s proposed law aimed at tackling sexual harassment in employment.
The proposed fines, equivalent to 2,000 to 5,000 penalty units, are intended to serve as a strong deterrent against workplace sexual exploitation.
The activists also called for longer prison terms for offenders, arguing that tougher sanctions would discourage perpetrators and protect vulnerable job seekers, especially young women entering the workforce.
Mrs Sheila Minkah-Premo, Convener of the Affirmative Action Law Coalition, said sexual harassment in recruitment and workplaces was deeply demoralising and denied the country valuable human resources.
“I would recommend steep punishment,” she told the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
“Right now, we use the penalty unit system. I believe the minimum should be 2,000 penalty units, going up to 5,000,” she said.
“The punishment should be severe enough to stop people because some are taking advantage of our young ladies and ruining their lives.”
Mrs Minkah-Premo Managing Consultant at ALC Consult, said many qualified women performed well in interviews but were later subjected to sexual demands as a condition for employment.
“There are people who are qualified on paper and perform well in interviews, but then face sexual demands as a condition for getting the job,” she added.
Ms Hawa Tasala Gariba, National Chairperson of the Young Urban Women’s Movement, also called for longer jail terms for offenders.
She said sexual harassment prevented many women from accessing employment opportunities and undermined their economic independence.
Ms Gariba said fear of harassment and stories from victims discouraged many women from seeking jobs, adding: “When the law is passed with stiffer punishment, it will deter offenders from the act and empower women economically.”
“If I am able to seek or get a job, I can provide for myself, my children and even my husband. Without that, a woman keeps depending on her husband or her man for everything she needs.”
Ms Gariba warned that coerced sexual demands in workplaces posed serious risks to women’s sexual and reproductive health.
She explained that women who succumbed to such demands to avoid losing their jobs risked contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and could resort to unsafe abortions in cases of unwanted pregnancies.
While welcoming President Mahama’s proposal for a specific law on “sex-for-jobs”, she noted that Ghana already had some legal frameworks to address workplace sexual harassment.
“We have the Labour Act, which includes sexual harassment, and we are pushing for ratification of ILO Convention 190. The issue is enforcement,” she said.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Agnes Ansah