By Agnes Ansah
Accra, Nov.4, GNA – The Ark Foundation Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) will on Thursday, November 5, host a conference on Sex-for-Jobs aimed at promoting dialogue on sexual harassment and strengthen accountability.
The Conference, which will be held at the Movenpick Ambassadors Hotel in Accra, will be on the theme; “Promoting Accountability, Safe Workplaces and a Culture of Integrity.
Participants, drawn from a multistakeholder group, including policymakers, employer associations, and advocates will advance practical action towards preventing sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in workplaces and institutions.
Sex-for-Jobs is a form of workplace exploitation and abuse of power where employers, hiring managers, or people in positions of authority demand sexual or romantic favours from job seekers or employees in exchange for employment, promotions, or career advancement whether qualified or not.
Although there is no official national database on Sex-for-Jobs, the phenomena have become prevalent in recent times, with President, John Dramani Mahama proposing the passage of a law to criminalise it.
The President who was addressing a town hall engagement at Koforidua in May 2026, described the practice as “unacceptable and exploitative” and said anyone found engaging in such acts should face strict legal consequences.
The President’s call has received numerous backings by gender and social advocates including Mrs Sheila Minkah-Premo, Lawyer and Convener of the Affirmative Action Law Coalition, who said, “I would not mind joining any advocacy that criminalises sexual harassment.”
Mrs Minkah-Premo described “Sex-for-Jobs” as demoralising, particularly for young women entering the job market, adding that it deprived qualified people opportunities and denied the nation competent talent. 
“It robs victims of the opportunity to gain employment and denies Ghana the right to have the best-qualified people,” she said in the interview.
Awurabena Jones, Programme Manager of the Ark Foundation in an interview with the GNA ahead of the conference noted the phenomena was prevalent in the sense that eight out of every ten women in Ghana have encountered some form of workplace sexual harassment.
However, she said a national data was not available due underreporting emanating from the fear of stigmatisation, victimisation and the lack of education on acts that constitute sexual harassment.
“Most of the time it is underreported. Sexual harassment is not something we really make so much noise about. In the past, it was something that even when you talk to colleagues about it at your workplace, they seem to brush it off. It is now that it is gaining a lot of momentum.
She noted that although there have not been official statistics on sex-for-jobs prevalence in Ghana, some reports on various training programmes have observed that the situation was worrying.
“It will not be a surprise that if you should ask ten women randomly on the street, you will find that eight of them have actually experienced sexual harassment in some way or some form,” she said.
She said the lack of data and the seemingly less noise about the phenomena prompted the Foundation’s conference.
She indicated that the conference would focus on having organisations discuss sexual harassment policies at their various workplaces, their reporting procedures and where victims could seek redress.
“When incidents of sexual harassment happen in these workplaces, people don’t even know how to go about reporting, who to report to, where to even seek redress. So that is why we are calling organisations together to ask what they have done to address sexual harassment, and if you have done anything, what has been the impact so far,” she said.
“We want to push organisations a step further. We are looking for substantial or substantive evidence that you are really doing something to address sexual harassment,” Ms Jones said.
She also said the conference would help identify some organisations who did not have sexual harassment policies for future training and be assisted to put together policies to address the menace.
“We also train people and assist with writing policies, sexual harassment policies for institutions. So, if you do not have a policy in place to address sexual harassment, we could come in, train you on the policy with your staff as well.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
4 Nov.,26.
Reporter: Agnes Ansah
Email: [email protected]