Prof. Charles Igwe, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, has warned students against deliberately seducing lecturers or offering sex in exchange for marks.
Prof. Igwe gave the warning on Wednesday at the university’s first ‘International Conference on Gender and Sexual Harassment’, organised by the Campus-Campaign Against Sexual Harassment (C-CASH).
He noted that the institution has zero tolerance for sexual harassment and other social vices, adding that the university would not relent in maintaining gender equality and a safe learning environment devoid of sexual harassment.
“Sexual harassment is a cankerworm which everyone should join hands to eliminate,” the VC said.
“UNN, under my administration, has zero tolerance for any form of sexual harassment of any student or staff. The university will not hesitate to punish any student found guilty of deliberately trying to seduce or offer sex for marks to lecturers.”
Prof. Igwe added: “We have gender-friendly centres in the university that handle reports on sexual harassment issues and other societal ills; the centres also give counselling.
“I encourage students and staff to take advantage of the centres and report any staff or student who harasses them sexually, especially a lecturer who demands sex for exam marks.”
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the programme was in collaboration with UNN Gender and Development Policy Centre (GDPC) and the Centre for Public Health (CPH).
GDPC director, Anthonia Achike said the conference aimed to fashion out ways to reduce sexual harassment in tertiary institutions across the country.
She attributed the low reporting of sexual harassment cases by victims to fear of victimisation, stigmatisation, and doubt of getting redress promptly.
C-CASH convener, Ikechukwu Erojikwe said the conference was a three-university collaborative project between Michigan State University in the United States, Pretoria University in South Africa, and the UNN.
Erojikwe, a senior lecturer at the Department of Theater Arts, UNN, said the aim was to find ways of reducing the rising cases of sexual harassment in higher institutions.
“The conference is expected to find ways, means and approaches that will bring solutions to this ugly societal ill. Participants and resource persons were drawn from universities within the country and outside,” he explained.
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