The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, has expressed deep concern over the increasing incidents of sexual harassment in primary and secondary schools across Nigeria.
Speaking at a national stakeholders’ engagement on sexual harassment prevention in Abuja, organized by the ICPC in collaboration with the Gender Mobile Initiative, Aliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), emphasized the need for severe consequences for offenders to curb this menace.
Aliyu highlighted that sexual harassment, along with other societal ills like gender discrimination, is damaging the nation’s reputation. He stressed that a consistent, focused, and united campaign is essential to decisively address sexual harassment in educational institutions.
Recalling past efforts, Aliyu mentioned that the ICPC, with support from the Ford Foundation, had launched a project to combat sexual harassment. One key outcome of this project was the drafting of model anti-sexual harassment policies for educational institutions.
“It is sadly interesting to note that sexual harassment, though more notorious in tertiary institutions, is quite rampant in primary and secondary institutions, too,” Aliyu remarked.
The ICPC has collaborated with the Gender Mobile Initiative to draft a model policy for tertiary institutions, with the Federal Ministry of Education approving the policies for primary and tertiary institutions.
These policies, he noted, should serve as guidelines for comprehensive anti-sexual harassment policies.
Aliyu warned that anyone, regardless of status, designation, or gender, can be a victim or perpetrator of sexual harassment.
He emphasized the importance of proper implementation of the model policies, highlighting the need for active participation and commitment from stakeholders.
In response to the high rate of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions, the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy, announced the establishment of mobile courts for the proper prosecution of perpetrators.
She acknowledged that sexual harassment also occurs in primary and secondary schools, often perpetrated by teachers or among pupils.
Kennedy stressed the Ministry’s collaboration with hotel owners to prevent underaged children from lodging and to report such attempts to security operatives.
She called on all stakeholders to ensure that sexual harassment is minimized to address the issues of stigmatization and low self-esteem among victims.
Omowumi Ogunrotimi, the founder and Executive Director of Gender Mobile Initiative, emphasized the importance of a preventive framework rather than a response framework.
She noted that the collaborative policy with ICPC was a product of extensive community engagement and validation by stakeholders, including the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the student community.
Ogunrotimi stressed the need for institutionalization processes at the national level, involving Commissioners of Education from various states to ensure that higher institutions are free from sexual harassment, focusing on prevention rather than response.