Let’s create a campus free from harassment – UENR VC

 Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, the Vice Chancellor of the University for Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), has called on the institution to work towards creating a campus free from sexual harassment.He highlighted that sexual harassment was a widespread issue with serious consequences, including creating a hostile work and learning environment, lowering morale, and exposing the university to legal and financial risks.The Vice-Chancellor noted that sexual harassment violated human dignity and caused significant harm to victims.Professor Asare-Bediako made the call during a launch and awareness creation on sexual harassment and the development of anti-harassment initiatives at the University.The workshop, organized by UENR with support from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, aimed at educating staff and students on how to recognize and respond to harassment effectively by becoming proactive bystanders and advocates for a harassment-free environment at the campus.Prof. Asare-Bediako expl ained that many people at the university might not understand what constituted harassment or how to address it, saying lack of awareness allowed unacceptable behaviour to persist unchecked.He emphasized the importance of confronting harassment through a collaborative effort to create a campus where everyone felt safe, respected and empowered to succeed.Addressing the issue of harassment, Prof. Theresah Patrine Ennin, Associate Professor in the Department of English and former Coordinator at the Centre for Gender Advocacy and Documentation at the University of Cape Coast, stressed the need for the university to implement an anti-harassment policy.She suggested the establishment of a harassment committee to oversee the enforcement of the policy, as well as a counselling unit to provide support for individuals affected by harassment.Additionally, she highlighted the need to equip the University's health facility to address harassment issues effectively and to provide training for the campus police to han dle and respond to incidents of harassment.Prof. Yaw Ofosu-Kusi, Department of Entrepreneurship and Business Sciences at the School of Arts and Social Sciences, UENR, mentioned a study published in 2023 by Athanasiades and others where 2,134 students, predominantly females, were examined through self-reported online questionnaires.He said the research revealed most common forms of harassment experienced by the women included offensive comments, jokes, stories, inappropriate remarks about one's body and appearance, as well as lewd staring, gestures, and exposure of body parts causing embarrassment.Dr Mrs Abena O. Adjapong, a Lecturer and Project Lead at UENR, said the initiative served as a reminder for all to remain vigilant, support those who speak out and confront behaviours and attitudes that contributed to harassment.She said merely raising awareness was insufficient, however, individuals must commit to actions to address the issue.Source: Ghana News Agency