By Ikechukwu Odu
Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, in partnership with Gender and Development Policy Centre, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, GEN_CENT, UNN, on Thursday, launched ‘Gender Justice Whistle Blowing Portal’ to enable victims of sexual harassment table their complaints confidentially.

Launching the portal at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium, UNN, the gender-based organisations said the platform has become necessary to fight issues of rape and sex-for-grade amongst students and staff of tertiary institutions.

While quoting statistics from the United Nations, the Director of GEN_CENT, UNN, Prof Anthonia Achike, said that at least 2, 000,000 Nigerian girls experience sexual abuse annually, adding that only 28% of such cases are reported while only 12% result in convictions.

She also said “…the culture of sexual harassment in the work places and on university campuses poses a serious threat to the wellbeing and empowerment of young women in Nigeria. Sexual violence creates unsafe spaces for women, destroys their self-esteem and their personal and professional development. Both men and women are victims of sexual violence; however, women are more susceptible due to an entrenched culture of bias that reinforces existing gender inequalities.

“Also, the GEN_CENT UNN documents severally emphasize the University administration’s zero tolerance stand for sexual harassment and readiness to go extra mile to prosecute cases of sexual harassment,” the don said.

Also, while making her remarks, the Executive Programme Officer, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, Kemi Okenyodo, said that it is the responsibility of the stakeholders in the university to create safe space for women and girls in the university, adding that all forms of gender bias conducts or behaviour are no longer acceptable in today’s world.

She also said “The whistle blowing platform will empower, protect and safeguard members of university community. It would go into the hearts and minds of the academic system because it would mould the members of the university community, not just in academics but in character.

“Therefore, the whistle blowing platform, is an element of the safeguarding protocols to empower, protect, and bring partnership and accountability to all members of the university community.

“Improper conducts which are hinged on the permissive nature of our society where we do not know boundaries, where boundaries are not respected and we do not take responsibilities for our actions are the things of the past. It is better to acknowledge, change and mould characters within this space to avoid disciplinary actions which these improper conducts may attract to defaulters.

“Institutional values, laws and conducts need to be reviewed and where there are gaps, the gaps filled. Human resources policies and awareness need to be put in place. Issues of sexual harassment is criminal in nature and should be frowned at by all members of the university community. The whistle blowing portal is launched to ensure that everybody is safe and protected and boundaries respected.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of UNN, Prof Charles Igwe, while saying that all hands are needed on deck to fight sexual harassment, added that the portal will enable victims who were hitherto afraid of the stigma which usually characterized reporting of gender violence and abuse to do so without disclosing their identities.

The Vice Chancellor who was represented by the Dean of the Postgraduate Studies, UNN, Prof Eze Okonkwo, also thanked the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, and GEN_CENT, UNN, for their commitment in tackling gender-based violence in the society, adding that sexual harassment has become a recurring decimal and a menace which must be fought in the university community.

The event was attended by other gender-based organisations such as Women Aid Collective, WACOL, Ford Foundation and Education as Vaccine among others.
The portal unn.genderjustice.org.ng can be accessed for issues on gender-based violence.