By Agnes Ansah
Accra, May 28, GNA – National Service personnel are the group most affected by the “sex-for-job” phenomenon, Mrs Sheila Minkah-Premo, Convener of the Affirmative Action Law Coalition, has said.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, she said many service persons experienced sexual harassment while transitioning from national service into permanent employment.
Her comments follows President John Mahama’s call for legislation to criminalise “sex-for-job” practices during a town hall meeting at Adweso in Koforidua at the end of his two-day “Resetting Ghana Tour” of the Eastern Region.
“Currently, it is a trend, particularly for National Service people,” she said.
“When they complete their service in various institutions and apply for full employment, they are told: ‘Do this, or we will not take you on.’”
Mrs Minkah-Premo, a lawyer known for her work on gender and girls’ rights, said she had handled several cases of sexual harassment involving service personnel over the years.
She is currently assisting two young women who allegedly became victims while seeking employment after completing their national service.
Mrs Minkah-Premo said the matter had been reported to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for action.
“They finished their service and applied for jobs, then faced offensive sexual requests. So we have reported it,” she said.
The Lawyer also referred to unpublished research she conducted for an international organisation, which found that the transition from national service to the corporate sector was the period when many young people became vulnerable to harassment.
She said many perpetrators escaped punishment because victims were often reluctant to report incidents due to intimidation and fear of public backlash.
“Once you report, people do all kinds of things to stop you because you are going to bring disgrace to certain persons,” she noted.
She supported the President’s call for a specific law to address the issue and urged organisations to adopt clear sexual harassment policies and sanction offenders.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Agnes Ansah