AWLN Ghana Demands Justice, Stronger Safeguards for Girls after Obuasi SHTS Abuse Allegations
The African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), Ghana National Chapter, has called for an urgent, thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving female students of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) and the headmaster of the institution.
The Network is demanding accountability for any wrongdoing established and stronger measures to protect girls from sexual abuse, exploitation and misconduct in educational institutions across the country.
In a statement signed by its Chairperson, Dr. Charity Binka, AWLN Ghana expressed profound concern over the allegations, describing them as raising serious questions about student safety, the exercise of authority and the effectiveness of existing child protection mechanisms in schools.
“A school must never become a place where girls fear those entrusted with their education, where authority becomes a source of vulnerability, or where complaints of abuse are met with silence or inaction,” the statement said.
The Network stressed that every girl has the fundamental right to learn in an environment that protects her dignity, bodily autonomy, safety and future, insisting that any allegation of abuse must be treated with the utmost seriousness.
AWLN Ghana also expressed concern over reports that complaints about the alleged misconduct may have been brought to the attention of relevant authorities before the matter attracted wider public attention.
It called for investigators to establish what was known, when the concerns were reported, how they were handled and whether the officials responsible for protecting students discharged their duties appropriately.
According to the Network, the investigation should not focus solely on the individuals implicated in the allegations but must also examine whether institutional safeguards functioned as intended.
“If complaints were ignored, mishandled or deliberately suppressed, or if officials failed to discharge their responsibilities, those failures must be addressed, and the appropriate consequences applied,” the statement said.
The organisation maintained that the obligation to protect students remains immediate, even as the allegations are subjected to a fair and impartial investigation.
It further emphasised that no individual should be considered guilty before the facts are established through the appropriate procedures, noting that justice requires both accountability and fairness.
“Neither should be used to undermine the other, and neither should become an excuse for delaying action to protect students,” AWLN Ghana stated.
The Network called on the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Police Service and relevant child protection authorities to ensure that the matter receives the urgency, independence and seriousness it deserves.
It also urged the authorities to determine whether there was any negligence, deliberate inaction, concealment, intimidation or breach of duty in the handling of complaints, and to pursue appropriate disciplinary or legal action wherever evidence warrants it.
Beyond the investigation, AWLN Ghana called for immediate protection and support for the affected students, including access to counselling, psychosocial support, healthcare and other essential services.
It said the students must be protected from stigma, victim-blaming, intimidation, retaliation and further trauma, adding that their education should not be unnecessarily disrupted by the case.
The Network also called for safe, accessible and confidential reporting channels in schools to enable students to report sexual harassment, abuse or inappropriate conduct by teachers, administrators and other authority figures without fear of reprisals.
It urged education authorities to ensure that complaints are properly documented, promptly assessed and referred to the appropriate agencies where necessary.
AWLN Ghana further advocated mandatory and regular safeguarding training for school leaders, teachers, guidance and counselling personnel and other relevant staff. Such training, it said, should cover child protection, professional boundaries, sexual abuse prevention, reporting obligations and appropriate responses to disclosures of abuse.
The organisation called on the Ministry of Education and GES to use the incident as an opportunity to strengthen child protection systems nationwide through effective monitoring, measurable institutional commitments and periodic reviews.
It noted that protecting girls is a collective and legal responsibility, warning that abuse and unsafe reporting environments could undermine students’ well-being, educational opportunities, confidence and trust in public institutions.
“A safe school environment is essential to girls’ education, confidence, leadership and future participation in national development,” the statement said.
AWLN Ghana reaffirmed that positions of authority do not place individuals above the law and insisted that schools must remain environments of trust, discipline, professional conduct and protection.
The Network concluded that the allegations at Obuasi SHTS must be addressed not only to establish the facts of the particular case but also to identify and correct any systemic weaknesses that could leave students vulnerable.
“The true measure of our commitment to girls is not found in our policies, declarations or promises, but in what we do when their rights are threatened,” the statement said.
It added: “Our girls are not expendable. Their safety is not negotiable. Their rights are not optional. And their protection cannot wait.”
AWLN Ghana said the response to the allegations should lead to stronger safeguards, trusted reporting mechanisms, responsible leadership and meaningful accountability across Ghana’s educational institutions.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
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