The Aya Institute for Women, Politics and Media has called for a nationwide audit of sexual abuse safeguards in schools following allegations of sexual misconduct involving female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) in the Ashanti Region.
The institute is demanding independent investigations, stronger survivor protection and accountability for officials who fail to act on complaints.
In a statement on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the institute said the allegations against the school’s headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, raised broader concerns about how educational institutions protect students and respond to reports of abuse.
The allegations gained renewed national attention following an investigative report by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and JoyNews, which examined claims of sexual abuse and how complaints were handled.
An earlier committee investigating disturbances at the school in August found that sexual harassment allegations examined during its inquiry had not been substantiated by the evidence presented. However, the fresh allegations prompted further investigations.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) interdicted Abdulai pending investigations, while Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu referred the criminal aspects of the allegations to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.
The controversy has also affected Abdulai’s political position. He served as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) constituency secretary for Juaben and had intended to contest the constituency chairmanship.
On October 20, the party directed him to step aside to allow investigations to proceed without interference. He subsequently resigned as constituency secretary and withdrew his chairmanship bid.
Against this background, the Aya Institute said the case raised questions about whether institutions were preventing abuse, responding promptly to complaints and holding those responsible for children’s safety accountable.
“The Obuasi allegations raise a question far bigger than one school: are Ghana’s institutions preventing abuse, responding promptly to complaints and holding those entrusted with children’s safety accountable?” the statement said.
It added, “A protection system cannot depend on investigative journalists to uncover abuse before authorities act. The test of our laws and policies is whether they work when a girl first asks for help.”
The institute wants the Ministry of Education, GES and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to conduct an independent audit of school safeguarding systems, including reporting channels, investigations, referrals and support for survivors.
It has also urged GES to publish anonymised data covering at least five years of sexual abuse complaints, disciplinary measures, police referrals and unresolved cases.
The organisation further called for investigations into whether officials ignored, concealed or mishandled complaints, stressing that transferring accused staff must not replace proper investigations or lawful referrals.
It also wants schools to establish accessible reporting systems, protect complainants against retaliation and provide survivors with medical, psychosocial and legal support.
The institute has asked the relevant ministries to announce, within 30 days, a time-bound plan for an independent audit and public reporting. It also proposed consideration of a legally regulated sex offenders register, with safeguards for privacy and due process.
Calling for lasting reforms beyond the Obuasi case, the institute said protecting girls must be treated as a responsibility of governance.
“Protecting girls is not an act of goodwill; it is a measurable duty of governance,” the statement said.
It added, “Justice for the girls of Obuasi must mean stronger protection for every girl in Ghana. The silence, impunity and institutional failures must end.”
