Female students at the Islamia College University (ICU) have taken a brave stand against harassment on campus. The students have said male teachers use grades as an excuse to call them into their offices and then make objectionable comments or worse. The students want action under the 2010 law against the harassment of women at the workplace. This is not a problem unique to this college or to Peshawar. We are all familiar with the cases of harassment that take place on campuses – university, college or school – around the country. Incidents from Balochistan have been widely reported recently.
It is high time authorities take action. Female students have every right to obtain an education in an environment that is safe and where they are treated with respect. All educational institutions must be required to act against harassment and ensure that girls are protected and can make complaints which are listened to seriously by the administration. This happens at very few institutions. In most cases, students simply remain quiet to avoid problems with teachers or families. The problem is to some degree a universal one. However, it is exacerbated in our country by the wall that surrounds men in positions of power who use their status as a shield for any kind of inappropriate and criminal behaviour.
The girl students in Peshawar deserve support and action from those in government and those responsible for running educational institutions. Necessary laws must be implemented and codes of conduct on harassment made compulsory at all places of learning so that a definite line of action is available to anyone who faces harassment of any kind and so that those guilty of engaging in any act which violates the code laid out can be duly penalised. We live in a society where harassment is widely accepted. Most of all, those in charge of running these institutions all over the country need to be themselves clear about a zero tolerance policy for harassment and the need to protect students above any other consideration. For this, much more needs to be done: including changing the sort of culture that allows the bullying and moral policing of students who speak up about such incidents. The future of our youth is in the hands of those who teach them and those who work at those places of learning. We must educate the educators first.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/743440-harassment-protests
Harassment protests: edit in The News, Nov 14, 2020
Female students at the Islamia College University (ICU) have taken a brave stand against harassment on campus. The students have said male teachers use grades as an excuse to call them into their offices and then make objectionable comments or worse. The students want action under the 2010 law against the harassment of women at the workplace. This is not a problem unique to this college or to Peshawar. We are all familiar with the cases of harassment that take place on campuses – university, college or school – around the country. Incidents from Balochistan have been widely reported recently.
It is high time authorities take action. Female students have every right to obtain an education in an environment that is safe and where they are treated with respect. All educational institutions must be required to act against harassment and ensure that girls are protected and can make complaints which are listened to seriously by the administration. This happens at very few institutions. In most cases, students simply remain quiet to avoid problems with teachers or families. The problem is to some degree a universal one. However, it is exacerbated in our country by the wall that surrounds men in positions of power who use their status as a shield for any kind of inappropriate and criminal behaviour.
The girl students in Peshawar deserve support and action from those in government and those responsible for running educational institutions. Necessary laws must be implemented and codes of conduct on harassment made compulsory at all places of learning so that a definite line of action is available to anyone who faces harassment of any kind and so that those guilty of engaging in any act which violates the code laid out can be duly penalised. We live in a society where harassment is widely accepted. Most of all, those in charge of running these institutions all over the country need to be themselves clear about a zero tolerance policy for harassment and the need to protect students above any other consideration. For this, much more needs to be done: including changing the sort of culture that allows the bullying and moral policing of students who speak up about such incidents. The future of our youth is in the hands of those who teach them and those who work at those places of learning. We must educate the educators first.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/743440-harassment-protests
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan