The Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI) has called on President Bola Tinubu to sign the Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Institutions Prohibition Bill into law.
The lead director of GMI, Omowunmi Ogunrotimi, stated this at a news conference commemorating the 16 days of activism in Abuja on Monday.
Ms Ogunrotimi said signing the bill into law would mark a significant milestone in the fight against sexual harassment.
The sexual harassment prohibition bill was a comprehensive legal framework that criminalised sexual harassment in tertiary educational institutions.
The bill was introduced by Ovie Omo-Agege (APC-Delta) in 2016 but failed to fly. It was reintroduced in 2023 with the help of civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
It was passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently transmitted for presidential assent two months ago.
“The bill is important, and the objective of the bill is to ensure there is promotion and protection of educator-student relationships,” she said.
Ms Ogunrotimi said 70 per cent of female graduates from Nigerian tertiary institutions had been subjected to one form of sexual harassment or another.
‘’The distressing figures are not merely statistics but represent the live experiences of countless young women whose educational journey has been marred by the insidious spectre of harassment.
“The fight against sexual harassment is not a separate battle but an integral part of ensuring that the educational journey of everyone, particularly women and girls, is enriching, empowering, and free from violence,’’ she said.
Ms Ogunrotimi added, “Addressing sexual harassment in tertiary institutions is not just a moral imperative but a national emergency that demands swift and decisive action.”
Also, Gloria Ibikunle, the acting director of the Centre for Gender Security Studies at the University of Abuja, said it was time the institutions acted against sexual predators who were bent on tarnishing the image of the tertiary institutions.
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Also, Helen Akinyemi, the programme manager of Gender and Justice at Oxfam Nigeria, said signing the bill into law was necessary to eradicate sexual harassment in tertiary institutions.
(NAN)
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