Sheila Bartels Calls for Stronger Digital Protection for Women Amid Russian Video Scandal
Former Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North, Sheila Bartels, has called on Ghanaian authorities to take decisive and proactive steps to protect women from digital exploitation following the ongoing Russian video scandal.
In a strongly worded social media post, Bartels described the incident as “a disturbing and modern form of exploitation” involving digital privacy violations and technology-enabled abuse.
“We cannot pretend this is just another viral controversy,” she wrote.
She acknowledged that Ghana already has relevant legal frameworks, including the Cybersecurity Act and Data Protection Act, but criticised weak enforcement as a major barrier.
“Laws on paper mean little if we fail to actively enforce them and educate women about their rights,” Bartels stated.
The former MP directly challenged the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to go beyond public statements and implement concrete measures:
Widespread education on digital rights and risks
Prevention strategies
Accessible support systems for victims
“The Ministry responsible for protecting women must move beyond statements and push real education, prevention strategies, and accessible support systems,” she urged.
Bartels framed the scandal as a critical test of Ghana’s institutional readiness to safeguard women in the digital age.
“This scandal is not just about one foreign national. It is a serious test of whether Ghana’s institutions are truly prepared to protect women in a fast-changing digital world,” she noted.
While welcoming the Gender Ministry’s condemnation and promise of coordination, she insisted that “condemnation is not enough. The urgency, strength, and visibility of the response matter.”
She referenced constitutional provisions on human dignity and equality, arguing they impose a clear duty on the State to actively protect women in both physical and digital spaces.
“These are not symbolic words; they impose a duty on the State to actively protect women in both physical and digital spaces,” she emphasised.
Bartels concluded by calling for proactive governance rather than reactive measures triggered only by public outrage.
“As citizens, we expect more than reactions after public outrage. We expect prevention… Our institutions must become a shield against exploitation — not a voice that speaks only after harm has already gone viral.”
The scandal involves a Russian national, Yaytseslav Trahov, accused of using hidden recording devices to film intimate encounters with Ghanaian women without their consent, then sharing the footage on social media and a paid Telegram channel.
Ghanaian authorities have launched investigations following formal complaints from about 40 women. Some allege they were unaware of being recorded, while others say they consented to private encounters but not to publication or distribution.
Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has confirmed he summoned the Russian Ambassador to a meeting in Accra and intends to pursue the suspect through international law enforcement channels, including Interpol, with the possibility of formal extradition if he has left Ghana.
