By Musa Solomon
The Kogi State Commissioner for Education Hon. Wemi Jones said the Government of Kogi State would adopt policy aimed at reducing the menace of Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Institutions across the State.
The Commissioner stated this on Tuesday, 17th of September, 2024 in Lokoja at the stakeholders meeting on State Level Adoption of the Model Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy in Tertiary Institutions in the State.
The Commissioner who warned the perpetrators of the act to desist said anyone found will face the Law.
He decried that sexual harassment had eaten deep into the fabrics of the Nigeria society, adding that the present administration has put up machineries to apprehend anyone involved in sexual harassment in the State.
According to him, the objective of the Stakeholders meeting is to facilitate the adoption of the state level model anti-sexual harassment policy, adding that the meeting would enable the state to secure the buy-in of institutional heads on integration of Campus Safety Initiative Framework (CSIF).
In his words, "Sexual harassment has remained with us for a long time because victims are usually scared to talk about them after being harassed because of stigmatization,"
Hon.Jones noted that the Federal Ministry of Education has implemented the anti-sexual harassment policy, and hence the need for Kogi to take the lead in domestication the policy at the state level.
He assured the commitment of Kogi Government to always be at the forefront of domesticating Federal Government policies to the benefits of the people of the state.
He added: "You would recall that towards the end of President Muhammadu Buhari's tenure, there was the elongation of the service year for teachers which is a national policy.
"Kogi was one of the first States to implement that Policy, as well as the recently established Federal Government's Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC).
"Because of our proactiveness, we are going to adopt the policy against sexual harassment in Kogi State".
The commissioner added the initiative was in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI).
"This initiative is to ensure that we reduce and totally eliminate sexual harassment especially on our tertiary institutions because that is where it happened the most."
The state Government he said abhor crimes and Criminality and would not condole it.
He emphasized the need for stakeholders the come up with a robust document that will ensure a conducive learning environment across schools.
In a Paper presentation by Dr Ernest Ogezi from Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI), on "Institutionalizing Campus Safety Initiative Framework at all Tertiary Institutions in Kogi State
Ogezi noted that a recent survey revealed that 69.8 per cent of respondents had been sexually harassed as students in various tertiary institutions out of which less than 10 per cent were reported to the appropriate authorities.
He described sexual harassment as an unwanted behavior of a sexual nature which has the purpose of violating an individual's dignity.
According to him, causes of sexual harassment include: poor implementation of sexual harassment policies, uneven power relations, culture of silence, lack of confidential reporting channel, and absence of anti sexual harassment prohibition bill in Nigeria, among others.
Ogezi, therefore recommended the setting up of sexual harassment policy, constitution of anti sexual harassment prohibition committee, robust collaboration with other stakeholders, provision of medical and psychosocial support services as the solutions to reduce sexual harassment in Nigeria.
Sexual harassment he said should not be tolerated rather, it must be confronted and stopped
so that our institutions can be safe and be positive places for everyone in the community.
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