Sexual harassment in educational institutions simply means sexual exploitation of unsuspecting prospective male and female candidates, undergraduates, postgraduates or workers by some individuals in privileged positions in the institutions.
Sexual harassment has assumed an alarming and dangerous tempo to the extent of eroding public trust in the integrity of some educators and the certificates awarded by some of the institutions.
A recent survey on sexual harassment in tertiary educational institutions showed that some hostel supervisors sexually harass male and female students.
While some male educators sexually harass female students, some female educators sexually harass male students. Some female students lure some male educators into situations that result in sexual exploitation.
Again, while some female students sexually harass fellow female students, some male students harass fellow male students in campuses.
Some male educators threaten unyielding female students with loss of marks before or after exams while some male students ‘arrange’ female students for some male educators.
Sometimes , most of the indolent female students who couldn’t pass their courses make frivolous and unsubstantiated allegations of sexual harassment against some male educators just to ridicule or impugn their character .
Aside from the educators, some Chief Executive Officers and non teaching staff sexually harass both female students and female workers , including other people’s wives .
They induce and seduce them with money, jewelries, clothes , travel with them to places of interest by road or air , buy cars for them, build houses for them, offer them unmerited appointments , accelerated promotions and salary enhancements among others .
They equally threaten those who refused to play ball in various ways including withholding of promotions and denial of fringe benefits.
The survey revealed some of the common causes of sexual harassment to include desperation for admission, employment and promotion .
Others are lack of effective anti-sexual harassment laws in the country, lack of parental guidance and societal values.
It also disclosed some of the chilling consequences of sexual harassment . They include but not limited to transmission of diseases, disruption of academic pursuits of female students through unwanted pregnancies , early marriages and encouragement of mediocrity and production of half-baked and arm-chair graduates.
While many educators and administrators lost their hard-earned jobs to sexual harassment cases , others are facing disciplinary measures on the same subject matter in tertiary educational institutions across the country .
Sexual harassment in tertiary educational institutions , homes, churches , mosques, hospitals and the larger society is a social evil that must be extinguished and eradicated at all costs through stringent legislation, good home training, moral and religious instructions.
Interestingly, on Monday, October 30, 2024, the Anti-sexual Harassment Bill passed third reading in Nigeria’s House of Representatives.
The bill seeks to prevent and protect students against sexual harassment by educators and other categories of staff in public and private educational institutions in Nigeria.
According to the bill, an educator is liable to sexual offence if he or she indulges in verbal or non verbal remarks or physical contact of sexual nature with a student .
The bill proposed fourteen years but not less than five years jail term without an option of fine for any educator, male or female indicted for sexual harassment.
It further proposed five years imprisonment or a fine of five million naira or both for any Vice Chancellor , Rector or Provost who fails to act swiftly on any report of sexual harassment brought by students.
If any Chief Executive Officer is involved , the report shall be routed through him to a higher authority. The bill has been forwarded to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative actions.
The sponsor and co-sponsors of the bill deserve commendations for a job well done. The 10th
National Assembly, the Academic and Non Teaching Staff Unions as well as the National Association of Nigerian Students and Civil Society Organizations should collectively throw their weights behind the Anti- Sexual
Harassment Bill and ensure its speedy passage . This has become necessary because if passed and signed into law , vulnerable students and workers in the nation’s tertiary educational institutions will be protected against randy educators , administrators and students
To all intents and purposes , tertiary educational institutions are citadels or centres of academic excellence and not rendezvous for sexual escapades , sexual harassment , extortion and molestation of male and female students.
To say the least, it is immoral for any educator or administrator in any public or private educational institution to demand sexual gratification from his students or staff.
In addition, it is hoped that if passed and signed into law, some Heads of educational
institutions will not take advantage or capitalize on it to harass, intimidate , victimize or persecute critical voices especially those opposed to their leadership styles or policies through sponsorship of spurious sexual harassment reports and incitement of students against the educators .
The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters should recommend appropriate sanctions against any student or staff who makes false allegation of sexual harassment against any educator or administrator and also specify the issue of mutual consent in the proposed legislation and its admissibility as evidence in court especially in the event of prosecution of culprits.
