President John Dramani Mahama has called for the introduction of a strong legal framework to criminalise the practice of demanding romantic or sexual relationships in exchange for employment opportunities.
He made the remarks on Saturday, May 2, 2026, during a town hall meeting at Adweso, as part of his two-day tour of the Eastern Region.
The President was responding to a concern raised by a female student of Ghana Senior High School, who highlighted the challenges women face in securing employment despite having equal qualifications as their male counterparts. She noted that women are often overlooked in the job market and sometimes subjected to unethical demands.
Describing the situation as unacceptable, President Mahama stressed the urgent need for legislation to address the issue.
“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,” he said.
“It is unacceptable. It must stop. And I think that we must take a firm line on that. I mean, if anybody does that, there should be a law that deals with them very strongly.”
The student also pointed to the achievements of Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey as evidence that women can excel when given equal opportunities.
President Mahama agreed, emphasizing that women are equally capable of performing in all sectors of the economy. He cited his visits to road construction sites under the government’s infrastructure programme, where he observed female engineers working as site engineers.
“I find it very admirable when I see the girls doing those kinds of jobs,” he said, adding that he often takes photographs with them to encourage more women to pursue such careers.
Beyond addressing workplace exploitation, President Mahama reiterated his administration’s commitment to promoting gender equality. He noted that efforts are underway to implement the Affirmative Action law, which aims to ensure equal representation of men and women in public appointments.
“We are going to work to make sure that we achieve the targets. It says that in public appointments by the end of 2028, we should achieve 50-50 parity,” he said. “It is a tough call, but we will work at it.”
The President’s call adds to growing national conversations around workplace fairness, gender equality, and the protection of women from exploitation in professional spaces
