Uniport Partners Group in Fight Sexual Harassment, Gender Discrimination
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Centre for Gender, Conflict and Development Studies (CGCDS), University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has strengthened partnership with a feminist organisation, Alliance for Africa (AFA), in tackling the menace of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the institution.
The relationship was strengthened when the feminist organisation had an advocacy visit to the school Vice Chancellor, Prof Owunari Georgewill, and other key management staff of the university.
Speaking during the visit, Director, the CGCDS, Prof Heoma Nsirim-Worlu, explained that the Centre has the mandate of the university to research and do whatever it can to produce an evidence to every reported issue as it affects gender, conflict, environment and development.
She received the group on the visit, and said stigmatisation and cultural system have made some victims not to come forward to prove their claims on sexual harassment, explaining that both male and female are affected by the menace.
According to her, “People mistake the concept ‘gender’ as women affairs, but is about the biological two (male and female) groups, and because of that misconception there is always conflict. When we try to pass the massage, we resolve the conflict and bring transformation in the living standard of the people.
“We, as educational centre, have the mandate of the university to research and whatever we do is evidence-based, because it’s a product of our research. So, when we discovered that this gender concept is causing a lot of problem, we adopted that word and then do advocacy through our enlightenment campaign.”
Speaking further on the Centre relationship with the group, Prof Nsirim-Worlu said: “We have paid advocacy visit to the management, whatever AFA has put in place, they do it with institutions and I want to tell you that Uniport is one of the institutions chosen in Nigeria and have been flying the flag very high.
“Presently, we don’t have any reported sexual or gender abuse issue. We had one that we would have had a very good grip of, but the family came in and said the girl was possessed and those are the challenges we have in such sensitive issues.”
In her presentation, the Programme Director of AFA, Blessing Duru, said the organisation focuses its campaign on systemic change, foundational education, creating inclusive environments, and advocating policies that protect against victimisation.
She noted the urgent need to strengthen policies, support systems, and enforcement mechanisms at the university that will enable a safe and supportive academic environment.
Duru explained that sexual harassment affects both students and staff, stressing that severely it disrupt academic and administrative functions.
She disclosed some of the challenges that hinders successes in the fight against sexual harassment to include; culture of silence and victim blaming, lack of robust data, inadequate reporting and accountability mechanisms, weak enforcement of existing policies and lack of awareness of existing policies or resources available for victims, to gain justice on the act committed against them.
According to her, “Most institutions lack sexual harassment and gender policies, and where it exists, they often lack strong enforcement mechanisms, resulting in a gap between policy and practice”, adding that “sexual harassment thrives because institutional cultures tolerate and enable it. Breaking down these enabling structures will significantly reduce its prevalence”.
On inadequate reporting and accountability mechanisms, she stated that: “Many institutions lack clear reporting channels, referral pathways, and protections for victims. At University of Port Harcourt, there is a need to establish these mechanisms clearly, ensuring swift, transparent investigations with serious consequences for perpetrators.”
