Ghanaians want stronger protection against harassment of women and girls

Written by NADJA editors
Photo by Ato Aikins / creative licence

Most people in Ghana believe the police and courts must do more to protect women and girls from discrimination and public harassment, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey.
Just a quarter of the people surveyed feel that law enforcement authorities are doing enough to protect women and girls.
To compile the survey, a nationally representative sample of 2,400 adults were interviewed in August 2024. According to Afrobarometer, a sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
The findings also highlight societal challenges faced by women and girls, with one-fifth saying that schoolgirls regularly experience discrimination or sexual harassment at the hands of teachers, while one-sixth say women face frequent harassment in public spaces like markets, streets, and public transport.

Although reported in smaller numbers, other issues include women being prevented from taking up paid employment by their spouses or families, and families prioritising boys’ education over girls’.
Despite these issues, most Ghanaians think that women and girls are likely to be believed if they report discrimination or harassment and commend the government for doing a good job in protecting women’s rights.
Key findings include:
- 22% of respondents say schoolgirls are “often” or “always” discriminated against, harassed, or harangued for sexual favours by teachers
- 41% think that police and courts must do more to protect women from discrimination and harassment in public spaces
- 16% report that women frequently experience sexual harassment in public spaces
- 13% say women are prevented from taking on paid employment by their husbands or family members
- 12% say girls are prevented from attending school because their families prioritise boys’ education
- 61% think women and girls are likely to be believed if they complain of discrimination or harassment
In July this year, Ghana’s government passed the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, which makes it compulsory to have women either elected or appointed to major decision-making sectors of public life.

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