By Caleb Kuleke
Ho, April 27, GNA – Staff of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) and other decentralised agencies and departments have received a one-day intensive training on sexual exploitation and abuse.
The training was aimed at equipping the staff with the requisite knowledge and information on sexual exploitation and abuse, their effects on Individual and productivity and how to prevent them.
The training also looked at the Local Government policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and establishing internal mechanisms at the VRCC to address such issues.
It was organised by the Volta Regional Directorate of the Department of Gender in partnership with the VRCC and supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Mr Augustus Kwaku Awity, Chief Director of the VRCC, said it was appropriate to have structures in place at workplaces for reporting issues of sexual exploitation and abuse.
He said when structures were established, it would serve as a form of deterrent to employees, who would want to engage in such acts and encouraged those who would fall victim to quickly report such acts.
The Director asked Heads of Departments and Agencies to take necessary steps to apprise themselves with knowledge in handling issues of sexual exploitation and abuse and avoid using their positions to engage in the act.
Mrs Thywill Eyra Kpe, Volta Regional Director, Department of Gender in an interview with the Ghana News Agency noted that it was important for employees to have knowledge on sexual exploitation and abuse and how to prevent them.
She said sexual exploitation and abuse were negatively affecting the level of productivity at some workplaces and some victims were unable to report because there was no proper structure in place for reporting such cases.
Mrs Kpe said VRCC has a responsibility to establish structures for addressing such issues as an implementing partner with the UNFPA, which adhered strictly to the UN’s policy on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
“It is our duty to educate the staff who are directly or indirectly engaged in the implementation of the policies to ensure that they are aware of the policies on the sexual exploitation and abuse.”
Participants were taken through UN’s Policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, Prevention, and Local Government Policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, how to give consent and types of sexual abuse.
Some participants who spoke to GNA said they have acquired enough knowledge on the subject, and it would go a long way to guide them on how to conduct themselves to avoid being perpetrators of or falling victim to sexual exploitation and abuse.
GNA