Welcome Step

UGC's step to make campuses safer -A welcome Measure

Sexual harassment is rampant throughout the workplace, in all occupations and professions, educational backgrounds, age, and caste groups. Unfortunately, college campuses are no exception. It is a welcome step that the UGC is committed to the principle that no female employee or student should be subject to sexual harassment. The UGC strives to provide workplaces and learning environments that promote equal opportunity and are free from illegal discriminatory practices, particularly sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment can be requests for sexual favors or unwelcome sexual behavior and in some cases can be verbal, physical, or visual. Sexual harassment can have various consequences for both girl students and female staff.  Sexual harassment is a grave issue that many students who have been sexually harassed report a drop in their academic performance, and some students have had to to change their major subject choices, alter career plans or transfer to a different college, drop classes, or leave college altogether to avoid the threatening situation which may impede their academic careers. Consequences of sexual harassment, even at low levels, include impaired psychological well-being resulting in lowered self-esteem, nervousness, irritability and anger. Although the incidence of sexual harassment was so high among female staff and students, surprisingly none of the m made a formal report about the harassment. When subjected to sexual harassment only few academic staff made formal complaints and the most frequently reported reason by them for not making a formal complaint would be ‘being embarrassed’ and ‘not expecting any action to be taken’.

Every University should put up measures to protect women in the working and learning environment, and ensure that the environment is conducive to learning. However, as long as there is no complaint procedure instituted and there is no guarantee of confidentiality, minimum cases of sexual harassment will be reported as the offenders may sometimes be highly respected faculty members. The university has an obligation towards its students and also towards staff, to provide an environment free from sexual harassment, in keeping with rules and regulations of an “equal opportunity” environment at study/work places. Upon receipt of a complaint of sexual harassment, Universities should undertake a fair and thorough investigation with due regard for the rights of both parties. Every reasonable effort should be made to protect the confidentiality of the affected person during the investigation. After investigation, any person who is found to have sexually harassed should be subject to discipline up to termination of employment and, if the person is a student, expulsion from University. Every University should guarantee that credible accusations of inappropriate sexual remarks or actions will be investigated promptly, thoroughly, and fairly. A clear mechanism of complaints and regulatory procedures for both students and staff should be in place. The ability of educational institutions to assure equity for women students has become ever more important as equity in academia has become so critical to workplace equity.