The Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) sexual abuse allegations should be a defining moment for women in positions of power in Ghana.
In a documentary on the matter, a female Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), when asked about her inaction following a report of alleged sexual assault, explained that, as a mother, she needed to see the girl so she could speak with her.
One must ask: Was seeing the child a prerequisite for taking action?
When an allegation of child sexual abuse is reported to a duty bearer, the first responsibility is not to arrange a personal encounter with the child.
It is to ensure her immediate safety, take the report seriously, notify the appropriate authorities, preserve evidence and facilitate professional, confidential and trauma-informed support.
A mother’s instinct to reach out should never replace the institutional responsibility to act.
Now that the matter has gained national attention, the big question is: What will the women who occupy influential positions in Ghana do differently to ensure justice for these girls and prevent another such situation?
I call on the Vice President, the First Lady, female Members of Parliament, women serving on the Council of State, female Ministers, female MMDCEs and women occupying leadership positions across public institutions, corporate organisations, professional bodies, religious organisations and civil society to rise to this occasion.
Your positions are not merely titles.
They are platforms of influence and instruments of responsibility.
Opportunity
To the Vice-President and First Lady, this is an opportunity to demonstrate that protecting girls is not merely a policy statement or an occasion for public speeches.
It must translate into visible leadership, institutional accountability and a commitment to justice.
To our female parliamentarians and women on the Council of State, use your legislative and advisory influence to demand answers.
Insist on transparent investigations, appropriate sanctions, and reforms that strengthen reporting and response mechanisms in schools.
Do not allow political affiliations, institutional loyalties or fear of reputational damage to stand in the way of justice.
To female ministers and women leading institutions, examine the systems under your authority.
How many complaints have been ignored?
How many girls have been silenced?
How many officials have prioritised protecting institutions over protecting children?
Demand answers and act on them.
Beyond the immediate pursuit of justice, I challenge these women to become the mothers, models and mentors our girls need.
Motherhood in leadership means more than wanting to see a victim.
It means creating an environment where a girl can report abuse without fear, where her dignity and privacy are protected, where her complaint receives a proper investigation, and where no powerful person is beyond accountability.
Demonstrate
Be the woman who speaks up when others are silent.
Be the mentor who teaches girls that their bodies, dignity and rights are non-negotiable. Be the leader who refuses to shield perpetrators, intimidate victims or negotiate away justice.
Demonstrate that integrity matters more than political convenience, institutional reputation or personal relationships.
And please, do not make these girls relive their trauma through unnecessary interviews, public appearances or political photo opportunities.
Their recovery must not become another public spectacle.
The 19 girls reportedly affected deserve more than expressions of concern.
They deserve justice, protection, psychosocial support and the assurance that what happened to them will not happen to another girl.
Ghana’s influential women must understand that history will not remember them simply for the positions they occupied, but also for what they did when vulnerable girls needed their voices, courage and leadership.
This is the moment to rise as women accepting responsibility.
Not merely as mothers by title or instinct, but as mothers who protect, advocate, mentor and hold the powerful accountable.
The Obuasi girls are watching.
Ghana is watching.
Let us see what our influential women will do differently.
The Writer is a Child development expert/ Fellow of the Zero-To-Three Academy,
USA. E-mail:
