Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy For Higher And Tertiary Education Institutions Launched
By Desire Tshuma
Harare – The govevernment has launched a Model and Benchmarking Policy on Anti-Sexual Harassment for higher and tertiary education institutions. The policy, lauched Wednesday, aims to create safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environments by preventing and addressing sexual harassment.
The key aspects of the policy include a standardized framework providing clear definitions, prevention mechanisms, and enforcement strategies for institutions to craft comprehensive anti-sexual harassment policies.
Institutional accountability is another aspect of the policy which requires institutions to adopt and tailor the model policy to their specific operational environments, ensuring accountability and response mechanisms to protect students and staff.
Government commitment is required for emphasizing the state’s commitment to justice, dignity and safety, while promoting gender equality and quality education free from harassment.
The launch marks a significant step in advancing human dignity and reinforcing Zimbabwe’s commitment to quality education. Education sector stakeholders have welcomed the policy as a significant victory for the rights of students and staff in learning institutions.
“The role of Higher and Tertiary Education Institutions (HTEI) in the national development agenda and in ensuring inclusive and gender sensitive human capital development, particularly in ensuring the delivery of transformative Education 5.0, cannot be emphasised,” said Dr Fredrick Shava, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Innovation, Science and Technology.
“As important cogs in national development, the integrity of Higher and Tertiary Education Institutions must not only be only actively promoted but is through adopting zero tolerance to sexual harassment, creating supportive teaching, learning and work environments that encourage the reporting of sexual harassment and provision of support services to sexual harassment victims,” he said
“At the national level the Government of Zimbabwe has put in place various laws, policies and mechanisms to respond to all forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV) including sexual harassment. As government, we pledged to eliminate GBV by signing international, continental and regional conventions and instruments on GBV and gender equality. These conventions and instruments includes the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” added Ambassador Dr Shava.
The launch was attended by all national learning institutions and universities representatives, the Tertiary Education Programmes Director, representative for the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Harare Province, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Ms Agnes Nhengo Director of Gender and Women Affairs, students, ECOZ, Swiss Development Cooperation and UNESCO.
