The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) has inaugurated its Gender Inclusion and Vulnerability (GIV) Office at the newly opened KNUST Library Mall, marking a step to strengthen the implementation of its Gender Policy.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Founding Head of the GIV Office, Professor (Mrs.) Mercy Badu, said the office is anchored in KNUST’s Gender Policy, which promotes zero tolerance for gender-based violence, discrimination and harassment, and aligns with the university’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy, Equality and Diversity Policy, and Disability Policy.
Prof. Badu said the office has already deployed a network of 37 gender, inclusion and vulnerability focal persons drawn from all six colleges on the KNUST main campus and the Obuasi campus to decentralise support services.
According to her, the focal persons will serve as first points of contact within their respective colleges, supporting awareness creation, early identification of concerns, and referrals in cases of gender-based violence, harassment and vulnerability.
“These focal persons will ensure that support is decentralised, accessible, and context-specific,” she said.
She thanked the Vice-Chancellor, under whose leadership the policy had been translated into institutional practice.
Prof. Badu disclosed that the office is developing an AI-enabled, confidential, survivor-centred reporting platform designed to protect identities, ensure confidentiality and strengthen due process.
Beyond response mechanisms, she said the office would lead advocacy, capacity-building initiatives, sensitisation programmes and institutional audits to promote gender equality, disability rights and ethical conduct across campus.
“We look forward to working collaboratively with you to embed gender, inclusion and vulnerability responsiveness into teaching, research, leadership and everyday institutional culture. Policies and structures alone do not transform institutions; people do. The success of this office will depend on our shared ownership, trust, and collective commitment,” she said.
The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, underscored the moral and developmental importance of gender equity, inclusivity and disability support.
“We must be the voice for the voiceless and give power to the powerless, because at the end of the day, humanity gains,” she said.
She warned that exclusion weakens institutions and development, noting that society thrives only when no group is sidelined.
“Everybody is important. We all have something to contribute: boy, girl, man, woman, and persons who are differently abled,” Prof. Dickson said.
She urged students, staff, alumni and stakeholders to support the office, describing KNUST as a safe and inclusive space for persons with disabilities.
“If you are differently abled and you don’t know where to turn to, come to KNUST,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mr. Edwin Kwaku Andoh described the inauguration of the office as a reflection of the growing need to prioritise gender equity and protection within academic spaces.
“This is an institutional statement that equity, dignity, and protection are not abstract ideals, but actionable commitments embedded in academia,” he said.
He said the GIV Office is expected to break down intersectional barriers, advocate policy reforms, promote women in leadership and ensure gender mainstreaming.
“This office represents our collective resolve to ensure that policies, workplaces, and communities are accessible and welcoming to all, regardless of background or ability,” he added.
The event featured solidarity messages from the Directorate of Student Affairs, KNUST Counselling Centre, Quality Assurance and Planning Office, KNUST E-Learning Centre, Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World, the Student Representative Council, the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana, and the Students with Disability Association.
By: Abena Serwaa Gyamfi
