By Adedayo Adeleye
The Wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has advocated for a Policy on Sexual Offences and Harassment in all tertiary institutions with a view to ending Gender Based Violence in the country.
Erelu Fayemi who made the call while delivering a keynote address at the launch of Campus Pal Mobile Platform in Abuja said that all lecturers, workers and students must be familiar with its provisions for effective implementation of the policy.
Campus Pal Mobile Platform is a digital application developed by Gender Mobile Initiative for sexual harassment prevention in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria.
Erelu Fayemi who decried the rate of sexual harassment on campuses especially sex for grade issue said that time had come to end the act.
“No society can make progress if young girls are unable to acquire education in a safe environment devoid of harassment and intimidation, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had declared a State of Emergency on Gender Based Violence in the country following a huge outcry in the increase in reported cases of sexual and Gender Based Violence during the covid-19 lockdown” she said
Erelu Fayemi called on all tertiary institutions to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of Gender Based Violence and promote healthy culture devoid of fear and intimidation in their campuses.
She said that School’s Authorities should make the required financial, material and technical resources available for the implementation of any Sexual Harassment policies.
The wife of the governor also urged Tertiary Institutions to encourage student led Gender Based Violence Support Clubs to enhance it effectiveness, while calling on other Development Partners, MDAs and Agents of Social Change to join the advocacy effort by supporting initiatives such as
Gender Mobile to solve other equally pressing challenges in the country especially as it affects women and the girl-child.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Gender Mobile, Mrs Omowumi Ogunrotimi said that the launch of the Mobile Platform would inturn effectively prevent GBV and ensure zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the Nation’s tertiary institutions.
A cross section of people who spoke at the forum applauded the initiator of the Mobile Platform for a job well done calling on her to be relentless in ending Gender Based Violence in the Nation’s campuses.
