Sexual Harassment In Nigerian Universities – What Now?

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

However, the conduct is made as a term or condition of an individual’s employment, education, living environment or participation in a University community. The acceptance or refusal of such conduct is used as the basis or a factor in decisions affecting an individual’s employment, education, living environment, or participation in a University community.

The conduct unreasonably impacts on an individual’s employment or academic performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for that individual’s employment, education, living environment, or participation in a University community.

However, sexual harassment in the Institution cannot be overlooked as the Universities have a diverse population made up of students, teaching staff, non-teaching staff, as well as support staff and interpersonal relationships, is established between the various individuals at the universities.

Sexual harassment is said to be a form of social control by men to ‘keep women in their places. In spite of the importance of the issue of sexual harassment occurring in institutions of higher education in Nigeria for many years, the issue was never discussed by researchers. Sexual Harassment seems to be common in a higher education institution, it is estimated that 20-30% of all college women have been sexually harassed.

Sexual harassment is not necessarily physical, it can be in form of Unwanted sexual statements: Sexual or “dirty” jokes, comments on physical attributes, spreading rumors about or rating others as to sexual activity or performance, talking about one’s sexual activity in front of others and displaying or distributing sexually explicit drawings, pictures and/or written material.

Unwanted sexual statements can be made in person, in writing, electronically (email, instant messaging, blogs, web pages, etc.) Sexual Harassment also includes

Unwanted personal attention: Letters, telephone calls, visits, pressure for sexual favors, pressure for unnecessary personal interaction and pressure for dates where a sexual/romantic intent appears evident but remains unwanted,

Unwanted physical or sexual advances: Touching, hugging, kissing, fondling, touching oneself sexually for others to view, sexual assault, intercourse or other sexual activity.

Sexual harassment is considered a direct violation of the Student Sexual Misconduct Policy for instance Sex for grades, this happened recently in Michael Opara University where a 300l student was caught to be having an affair with a lecturer In Exchange for promotion to 400l, cases like these also happened in the university of Ilorin and other prestigious University

The effect of this deforming activity cannot be ignored as it affects the University, the lecturer and the student.

Sexual Harassment in the institution can permanently dent the name of such an institution as it will always be in the record.

The effects of experiencing sexual harassment can be profound and can range from uncomfortable to devastating. They may last a short or long time, and can even generate a “ripple effect” of negative symptoms in the affected institution.

The effect of sexual harassment on a student includes

• Having trouble studying or paying attention.
• Less able to perform well.
• Participating less, avoiding certain places on campus.
• No longer going to study group, or to your Prof’s or TA’s office hours.
• Thinking about dropping a class, changing your major, or even leaving Stanford.
• Dropping-out of school or Expulsion while the effect on the LECTURER may include
• Deformation of Character
• Loss of job / Suspension

However, the following are the possible solution to the problem of sexual harassment in an institution

• Universities should devise a system whereby there are strong sanctions for anyone who crosses the red line because if there is no sanction, people will continue to do it. Universities must also make sure that when the red line is crossed, there are no sacred cows. They must also remember that justice delayed is justice denied.

• The university should set an eagle eye on such behavior to ensure that every individual involved in such act is brought to book

• The institution should put in place a dress code for all students to ensure that no one dresses in an immoral manner

• There should be an avenue for students to report advances and threats from lecuturers
• Every student should have the right to call for her paper when not satisfied with her result.