By: Gloria Abutu
Education and human capital stakeholders have stressed the need for immediate and decisive action to prevent sexual harassment and assault within educational institutions across Adamawa State.
This call was made at a one-day convening of Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development Stakeholders and Heads of Tertiary Education Institutions on State-Level Adoption of the Model Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy in Tertiary Institutions in Adamawa.
The event which held at the Conference Hall of the Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board, aimed to promote safer learning environments in tertiary institutions.
The meeting gathered heads of tertiary institutions and key human capital development stakeholders, who discussed ways to address the rising incidents of gender-based misconduct in educational settings.
Sexual harassment, defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, or other sexually charged behaviour, is a form of gender discrimination and remains a pervasive issue in the country.
The initiative in Adamawa follows national efforts spearheaded by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI).
During a national conference held in July 2024, these organizations introduced a Model Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy designed to guide educational institutions in creating and implementing comprehensive anti-harassment policies.
Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, Mary Iwadi, representing Adamawa State Commissioner of Education Dr. Umar Garba Pella, stressed the urgency of forming dedicated committees in schools to handle harassment cases.
“Sexual harassment cases are on the rise, and there is a need for serious action,” Iwadi remarked.
“Institutions must establish accessible complaint centers for students and take swift disciplinary action against offenders.”
Research and Policy Officer for Gender Mobile Initiative, Mr. Eugene Igho Goma provided an overview of the policies aimed at fostering a safe, harassment-free educational environment.
“We are here in Adamawa to cascade this programme at the state level, we are in the stage of implementing the Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy in the state,” he noted.
“The next step now is to sign MOUs with individual schools to help them develop their policies and build response mechanisms to create safe environment free from sexual harassment,” he added.
Goma emphasised that the initiative would complement government efforts, particularly through technological solutions like the CampusPal app.
“CampusPal is like a normal app on playstore. We try to leverage technology to make reportage seamless,” Goma explained.
According to him, the app offers a confidential reporting platform for survivors and ensures students can report incidents without fear of discrimination or stigma.
Provost of Kulp Theological Seminary Hong, Dr. Bayo Tella Mshelia, commended the initiative and called for a collective effort to end sexual harassment.
He emphasized the importance of enforcing strict codes of conduct for both instructors and students.
Participants at the event unanimously echoed the call for effective strategies to end sexual harassment in Adamawa’s educational institutions, underscoring the importance of coordinated action to establish a secure learning environment for all students.
