|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Edward Graham Sebbie
Ghana is being pushed to close a dangerous loophole in its labour system, as ActionAid Ghana calls for urgent legislation to criminalise “sex-for-jobs” bringing the country in line with Convention 190 of the International Labour Organization, ILO.
The practice according to the organisation where employers and officials demand sexual favours in exchange for employment is a grave human rights violation that hits women and young job seekers hardest, with those faced with unemployment, poverty, and social exclusion at the highest risk.
In a statements released on May 12, 2026, ActionAid Ghana points to a growing national conversation and renewed backing from President John Dramani Mahama, policymakers, civil society groups, and labour advocates stressing the need to put legal and institutional guardrails in place to stop people in positions of authority from abusing power during recruitment and hiring.
Since 2019, ActionAid Ghana and the Young Urban Women’s Movement have been documenting how discrimination, harassment, and workplace vulnerability play out across sectors. Evidence shows that the problem doesn’t just start once one is hired, but begins at the point of application, in recruitment processes, training spaces, and other work-related interactions.
The organisation argues that criminalisation alone isn’t enough unless it is backed by systems people can actually use and calling for the following:
Explicitly enforcing laws that make sexual exploitation in recruitment and employment a criminal offence; Safe, confidential reporting systems designed around survivors’ needs; Accountability across the board with zero-tolerance enforcement in both public and private institutions; Prevention and education to raise awareness about workplace harassment, abuse of power, and gender-based violence and; Full alignment with ILO Convention 190 to ensure that the laws of Ghana meet international labour standards.
ActionAid highlights Convention 190’s broad definition of the “world of work” as key covering recruitment, job-seeking, and training environments and addresses the exact points where “sex-for-jobs” exploitation often occurs.
ActionAid frames this as both a gender and economic justice issue. It asserts that meritocracy breaks down and unsafe and discriminatory workplaces become the norm when jobs and promotions are influenced by sexual favours rather than skills and qualifications.
The organisation believes that Ghana has a policy window currently to strengthen labour protections and guarantee that women and young people can access employment and advance based on competence and not coercion.
