KNUST Inaugurates Gender Inclusion and Vulnerability Office

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, has officially inaugurated its Gender Inclusion and Vulnerability (GIV) Office at the newly opened KNUST Library Mall, aimed at strengthening the implementation of the university’s Gender Policy. The office, led by Professor (Mrs.) Mercy Badu, will coordinate gender, inclusion, and vulnerability support services across all six colleges on the main and Obuasi campuses, including deploying 37 focal persons to provide decentralised support, awareness creation, and early identification of cases of gender-based violence, harassment, and vulnerability.

The office will also develop an AI-enabled confidential reporting platform to protect identities and ensure due process, while leading advocacy, capacity-building, and sensitisation programmes to promote gender equality, disability rights, and ethical conduct across campus. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, emphasised the moral and developmental importance of inclusivity, urging the university community to support the initiative and describing KNUST as a safe and inclusive space for all students, including persons with disabilities. The inauguration featured messages of solidarity from university departments, student associations, and partner organisations dedicated to gender and inclusion.