Workers all over the world, especially women, are confronted with sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse by some male employers or co-workers, infringing on their fundamental human rights.
In light of this, ActionAid Ghana and the Coalition for Maternal Health and Citizen Empowerment (CMCE), in partnership with the Young Urban Women Movement (YUWM), have sensitised women on Sexual Harassment, Exploitation, and Abuse (SHEA) in workplaces.
Held on Thursday at Kenyasi in the Ahafo region, the participants, mainly apprentices and their masters drawn from the Asutifi North and South districts, were taken through topics including the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 and the SHEA policy.
The Executive Director of CMCE, Mahama Salam, in his remarks, indicated that harassment at workplaces distorts the cordial relationship between employers, female workers, and co-workers.
He cautioned the participants against snatching their mistresses, apprentices’ husbands, or sexual partners, and masters who exchange their female apprentices for favors and gifts from men.
Mr. Mahama, therefore, urged female workers, especially apprentices, to report all forms of violence and sexual harassment to the appropriate authorities, including DoVVSU and CHRAJ, for redress.
Nana Kwabena Sarpong, Asutifi North District Labour Officer, said the ILO’s Violence and Harassment Convention (VHC), 2019, recognises that violence and harassment in workplaces constitute human rights violations and a threat to equal opportunities.
He said harassment is unacceptable and incompatible with the decent work agenda of the ILO, noting that the VHC 2019 aims to promote a general environment of zero tolerance for violence and harassment and to facilitate the prevention of such behaviors and practices.
The Labour Officer noted that the convention protects persons in training, including interns and apprentices, and workers whose employments have been terminated, volunteers, jobseekers, and individuals exercising the responsibilities of an employer.
Matilda Asare, organiser of YUWM in the Ahafo region, said the activities of the movement have increased people’s understanding of gender-based violence and reporting mechanisms, reaching over 150 people.
She added that her outfit has been able to mobilize over 500 young women into the YUW movement through outreach, mainstream, and social media platforms.
Through the movement, the organiser added, we have mobilized members into breast cancer awareness and screening, capacity-building training, and livelihood skills training support for community groups in green dynamics, leadership, and thematic areas.
Mrs. Asare noted that inadequate funding restricts the number of people who are engaged in the movement’s programmes and interventions, coupled with the non-sustainable nature of the movement without ActionAid support or after the support from the current project.
We have commenced a campaign for the ratification of ILO C190 and a violence-free working environment. We will also conduct education and awareness creation on SRHR/HIV/AIDS for selected schools and movement members in the future,” she noted.
Faustina Enyonam, on behalf of the beneficiaries of the workshop, expressed gratitude to YUWM and CMCE, saying that we are fully enlightened in guarding against sexual harassment in our workplaces.
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