Kumasi: The Directorate of Student Affairs (DoSA) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has organized a workshop aimed at scaling up efforts to combat gender-based violence and sexual harassment.
According to Ghana News Agency, the initiative was a collaboration between KNUST DoSA, the Student Representative Council (SRC), and the Perfector of Sentiment (POS) Foundation, a human rights advocacy organization, with sponsorship from Amplify Change. The event gathered faculty members, students, healthcare professionals, university security officers, and other stakeholders to build awareness, enhance institutional response, and promote coordinated strategies to create a safer and more inclusive campus environment.
Professor Marian Asantewah Nkansah, Director of Student Affairs, emphasized the importance of fostering respect and accountability within the university community. She highlighted the significance of raising awareness through knowledge and skills building to promote respect, consent, and dignity. Prof. Nkansah encouraged participants to trust the university's reporting mechanisms, assuring that all personal information shared through official channels would be handled with the highest confidentiality.
Mrs. Victoria De-Graft Adjei, Deputy Registrar and Head of the KNUST Counselling Centre, discussed several institutional tools and policies designed to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual misconduct. These included the Sexual Harassment Policy, Gender Policy, Counselling Policy, the Student Code of Conduct, and the KNUST e-Counselling App, which enables anonymous reporting. She emphasized the importance of confidentiality in handling student issues and urged students to engage with counselors.
Dr. Mrs. Frances Dufie Azumah, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Social Work, KNUST, underscored the relevance of the gender-based violence and sexual harassment policy, education, and awareness. She indicated that the university's policies aligned with nationally and internationally accepted standards and cautioned against using positions of power to harass or intimidate others, advocating for a safe space for all.
Mr. Jonathan Osei Owusu, Founder and Executive Director of the POS Foundation, commended KNUST for its commitment to gender equity. He noted the practical manifestation of gender equality at the university, recognizing the significant role women play in managing student affairs. However, he pointed out a lack of awareness around what constitutes sexual harassment, explaining that some students did not recognize harassment or underestimated its seriousness.
