CAMPUS SHUTTLE JOINS SEX FOR GRADE CAMPAIGN

It’s never about what she is wearing or what she is doing there, there really is no excuse for the condemnable acts of these said lecturers that exploit innocent victims and dine with injustice believing they would always get away with it. Sexual harassment has been in existence for decades and it’s really saddening that it’s on the high side in tertiary institutions. While it should be a general knowledge that sex for grade is a form of sexual assault, there is also the need to know that sexual harassment is not entirely synonymous to sexual assault in the sense that sexual harassment is an unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature.

Sexual Assault, on the other hand, takes many forms including attacks such as rape or attempted rape, as well as any unwanted sexual contact or threats. Usually, a sexual assault occurs when someone touches any part of another person’s body in a sexual way, even through clothes, without that person’s consent.

Sexual assault has immediate and long term effects which can be tremendous and devastating. It has physical, psychological, social and health behavior consequences. Among victims, there is an increased incidence of strain in relationships, insomnia, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal tendencies. The various health-related effects are chronic pelvic pain, premenstrual syndrome, sexually transmitted infections, gastrointestinal, disorders and psychosomatic complaints. Aimed at curbing the recent menace of #SexForGrades in tertiary institutions.

Citizens’ Gavel had the first of its campus tour awareness campaign at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Friday 18^th of October, 2019. The initiative was undertaken to enlighten and provide legal support for students in the institution while breaking the culture of impunity as regard sexual predators in society. The second of this initiative was held at The Polytechnic, Ibadan on the 8th of November, 2019, to keep the scourge on the front burner of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The campus shuttle buses and motorcycles were glad to join in the campaign.

The recent trend of sex for grades in tertiary institutions in our society has called for urgent intervention, thus it must be tamed with immediate effect. While understanding that tackling sexual harassment requires more than the suspension or dismissal of culprits and that sexual assault is a criminal act and should be treated as such. Citizens’ Gavel prepares to organize periodic training and campaign for staff and students on sexual harassment.

Being positive about the future that our society will be void of sexual harassment, our team members shared educative fliers and passionately enlightened the students of the tertiary institutions.

SEXUAL ASSAULT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE! ALWAYS SPEAK OUT!!