By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, June 26, GNA – 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.
It 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 brought together 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, described the initiative as a vital step towards fostering respect and accountability within the university community.
She said raising awareness through knowledge and skills building could engender 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, outlined several institutional tools and policies designed to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual misconduct.
They included the Sexual Harassment Policy, Gender Policy, Counselling Policy, the Student Code of Conduct, and the KNUST e-Counselling App (an online app enabling anonymous reporting).
She assured that confidentiality remained key in handling issues affecting students and urged them to open up to the counselors.
The Counsellor entreated families and faith-based organizations and educational institutions to support early education on empathy and respectful behaviour.
Dr Mrs. Frances Dufie Azumah, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Social Work, KNUST highlighted 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.
Dr Azumah used the occasion to caution people not to use their positions to harass or intimidate others, saying that “we want a safe space for all.”
Mr. Jonathan Osei Owusu, Founder and Executive Director of the POS Foundation, commended KNUST for demonstrating institutional commitment to gender equity.
“The real meaning of gender equality has been practically manifested by KNUST.
I see a lot of great women managing student affairs, and it’s encouraging,” he said.
What was left, he pointed out, was lack of awareness around what constituted sexual harassment, explaining that some students did not recognize what qualified as harassment while others underestimated its seriousness.
GNA
Edited by Yussif Ibrahim/Christian Akorlie
