The Justice and Accountability Forum has commended President John Dramani Mahama following his announcement of plans to introduce legislation criminalising the demand for sexual favours in exchange for employment.
According to the group, this legal intervention is a necessary measure to address a long-standing issue where predatory individuals exploit vulnerable job seekers.
The Forum’s convener, Nana Bonsu, described the proposal as a positive step towards holding such offenders accountable.
Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mr Bonsu argued that individuals who make sexual demands of applicants pose a significant threat to society and must be dealt with decisively.
This follows President Mahama’s public condemnation of the practice during a town hall meeting at Adweso in Koforidua on Saturday, 2 May.
The president described the trend as exploitative and unacceptable, expressing deep concern over the abuse of power by employers who coerce women into intimate relationships as a prerequisite for hiring.
Regarding this misconduct, the president remarked: ‘One of the worst things—and I think we should pass a bill to make it punishable—is that sometimes if the employer or the person responsible for employing is a male, they demand some romantic relationship before they give them jobs. It is unacceptable. It must stop.”
In response to the president’s stance, Nana Bonsu asserted that the “sex for jobs” culture is disgusting and should never be entertained. He maintained that if jobs are available, they should be awarded on merit rather than through sexual coercion. He further stated: “It is not something we must encourage. Those found to have engaged in such acts should face rigorous legal penalties.”
Beyond the professional sector, Mr Bonsu demanded that the proposed legal framework be extended to cover the education system, specifically targeting teachers and lecturers who demand “sex for grades”.
He urged the president to broaden the scope of the legislation to protect students from those who abuse their positions of authority.
“As preparations are underway to establish this legal framework, we want the authorities to deal with the teachers and lecturers who engage in sex for grades. We cannot allow our teachers to continue abusing their privileges by sleeping with the students. So please, President John Mahama, we want to encourage you to include our teachers,” he concluded.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
