This should be looked at and educational institutions that fail to comply should be penalised
ISLAMABAD: The incident of mass sexual harassment — at least that’s what I would like to call it considering that 80 female students were harassed — at Bahria College Islamabad — has forced us to make strict educational policies a priority. While the Higher Education Commission has passed directives to all universities and colleges to form sexual harassment committees on campus most universities do not seem to comply. This should be looked at and educational institutions that fail to comply should be penalised.
On the other hand, strict recruitment policies for faculty and staff should also be devised. It has been found that the lecturer accused of harassment in Bahria College had also been accused of the same misconduct at the Army Public School in 2014. In the wake of this development, the question that arises then is on what criteria are faculty members recruited on? Why do loopholes exist that lets an offender be appointed again? These questions are pertinent to ask and be considered for policymaking because an academic job affects many lives and should be treated with care.
Educational institutions are responsible for character-building and act as safe havens for the youth and no student — male or female — should walk corridors of these institutions in fear.
Mumtaz Azmi
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2018.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
