The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has issued a compelling appeal to President Bola Tinubu to give his assent to the Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Institutions Prohibition Bill 2019.
This plea follows CJID’s groundbreaking research, which unveiled the distressing prevalence of gender-based violence against female undergraduates.
The cross-sectional survey conducted by CJID across six geopolitical zones has brought to light alarming statistics, with 34.2 per cent of respondents citing sexual violence as the most widespread form of harassment.
The recent suspension of a University of Calabar dean over sexual harassment allegations underscores the urgent need to address the systemic issue of gender-based violence within tertiary education.
Furthermore, the survey revealed that 37.3 per cent of perpetrators were fellow students, while academic staff accounted for 26.7 per cent of the cases.
CJID commends the National Assembly for the swift passage of the bill and urges President Tinubu to expedite the process, emphasizing that the enactment of the bill will establish robust mechanisms to prevent, prohibit, and address sexual harassment cases in tertiary institutions.
Highlighting the critical role of the proposed bill, CJID pointed out that Section 15 (2) outlines the creation of an Independent Sexual Harassment Prohibition Committee to investigate and determine complaints, while Section 17 (5) proposes the dismissal or rank reduction of perpetrators when substantiated by evidence.
The organization firmly believes that this bill will uphold ethical standards and reinforce the sanctity of the student-educator relationship.
