ActionAid Nigeria has berated Nigerian universities for lacking gender-specific mechanisms to tackle violence against female students in their campuses.
The Organization has therefore advocated for the Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institution Prohibition Bill of 2016, which was passed by the 8thSenate but did not see the light of the day to become a Law”.
The Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institution Prohibition Bill, 2016, had prescribed a 5-year jail term for lecturers and educators convicted of sexual harassment of either male or female students.
Not only that, it also made provisions for lecturers and educators who maybe falsely accused by their students to seek redress.
A press statement made available to Blueprint Wednesday quoted the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi as saying that Key findingsresearch carried out by its organization revealed thatgross violation of the rights of Female Students by Lecturers is still rife in tertiary institutions across the country.
She said, “We are dismayed by the recent revealing investigative report produced by BBC Africa EYE, which borders on the alleged sex scandal involving a Senior Lecturer of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
“The video documentary did not only showcase sexual harassment, it revealed other forms of verbal and physical abuse faced by female students, and as appalling as it sounds, this case is just one of the many cases across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
“As an organization at the forefront of the protection of women and girls, in 2012 ActionAid carried out a safe cities audit of selected Nigerian universities, transport routes, marketplaces and factory sites to ascertain the level of safety, easy of mobility and access to public services for women and girls.”
The organization has therefore commend BBC Africa EYE for the revelation, saying more Nigerian journalists should strive to carry out investigative reports that will amplify the voices of vulnerable groups, particularly women, children and young people in the society.
ActionAid Nigeria, a social justice non-governmental organization working to combat poverty and all forms of injustice in Nigeria
