Youth Unaware of Whistleblowers Act, Fear Reporting Wrongdoing – GACC
Assistant Programmes Officer at the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), Dorcas Tenkorang, has raised concerns over low awareness of whistleblowing and the Whistleblowers Act among Ghanaian youth, noting that fear and limited knowledge continue to discourage reporting of wrongdoing.
Speaking during the NorvanReports, Economic Governance Platform (EGP) and Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) X Space Discussion on the theme, “Whistleblowing Without Fear: Protecting Young Voices That Speak Truth to Power,” Ms. Tenkorang said interactions with young people indicate that many are unfamiliar with whistleblowing and the legal protections available to those who report corruption.
“From our interaction with the youth, I would say that not a lot of people are familiar with whistleblowing or the Whistleblowers Act. Many do not even know that there is a law that exists to protect people who come out to report wrongdoing,” she said.
She explained that reporting wrongdoing is often perceived as “snitching,” causing individuals to be labelled negatively. According to her, this perception is not limited to the youth but cuts across the wider Ghanaian population, largely due to inadequate public education on whistleblower protections.
Ms. Tenkorang noted that GACC has, over the years, made conscious efforts to educate young people on whistleblowing, particularly through engagements held during African Anti-Corruption Day and International Anti-Corruption Day. These initiatives, she said, are aimed at building trust in reporting institutions and increasing the number of reports received.
She further identified fear of retaliation, uncertainty about reporting channels, and doubts over whether reported cases will be acted upon as key barriers preventing young people from coming forward. She cited instances from GACC’s district-level engagements, including in Nzima East, where student sensitisation led to reports of wrongdoing, underscoring the impact of targeted education.
Ms. Tenkorang called for reporting mechanisms to be made more accessible, stressing the need to bring reporting channels closer to young people. She advocated the use of social media as an additional reporting tool and urged institutions, including schools, to establish clear internal complaint systems.
“There should be provisions and education for young people to understand that there are systems in place that allow them to report wrongdoing without fear of victimisation,” she said.
She added that civil society organisations and local accountability networks have a critical role to play in educating young people on whistleblowing, particularly in rural communities, and in guiding them through reporting processes by linking them to the appropriate authorities to ensure action is taken.
