Making campuses safe for girls

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POST NEWS NETWORK
Bhubaneswar, July 31: News about harassment and gender discrimination in educational institutions as well as offices is distressingly frequent. Orissa, too, has been witness to incidents of harassment in educational institutions. The recent incident of a girl student being harassed in Ravenshaw University has again raised contentious questions about women’s safety on campuses. Although vice-chancellor P C Sarangi took immediate action by suspending the accused and referring the matter to the Gender Sensitization Committee against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) for a probe, concerns related to the safety of girl students on campuses have only deepened. Orissa POST speaks to experienced teachers and educational administrators about possible solutions to this problem which has vitiated the academic environment on campuses. Padmaja Mishra, vice-chancellor of RD Women’s University, says: “As this ugly incident happened in a reputed university it has naturally attracted unfavourable attention. However, the VC has taken the right step after the issue came to light. Such a case of harassment has implications for both the victim and the accused. All universities have a sexual harassment cell that looks after such cases. The committee is entrusted with the hearing of the matter and mulling necessary action.” Vice-chancellor of Utkal University Soumendra Mohan Patnaik says: “In order to stop incidents of harassment on campus, we need to take initiatives to instill sensitivity among males. We can create sen
sitivity through curricular as well as extracurricular activities on the campus. That apart, we should create a proper space in which girl students can experience independence. In fact, we need to be proactive when it comes to creating such an environment. However, if the accused is proved guilty, there must be zero tolerance.” Psychiatrist Dr Bhabani Shankar,associate professor at Hi-tech Medical College and Hospital says: “Irrepressible lust in a man is a direct product of the environment he lives in. It also depends on the company he keeps. His personality, which is distorted by bad company, leads him to abuse a girl. Also, there are those who suffer from antisocial personality disorder. They are easily influenced to commit even heinous crimes.” Higher education minister Ananta Dassays: “A committee has been formed to address the issue of harassment in universities. The members will do proper investigation and take action accordingly. In fact, we are taking major steps to stop such incidents from happening in future.” PK Behera, an alumnus of Ravenshaw University, said the incident was horrific and must be probed. “The incident has dealt a blow to the image of the university which has a rich history. If students’ security emerges as a major concern, then how will teachinglearning thrive,” he asked. Ashutosh Patra,a student of the varsity, seconded Behera saying the embarrassing incident had dented the institution’s image.