Diversity and inclusion

Uni4Equity

Online and offline sexual harassment in the workplace and other relevant contexts, with a special focus on minorities.

Strengthening the capacity of universities to detect and respond to online and offline sexual harassment in the workplace and other relevant contexts (such as classrooms and digital spaces), with a special focus on minorities.

Context

As much as a lot of effort has been invested in ending gender-based violence at the EU level, sexual harassment continuous to be a pervasive phenomenon, especially in those institutions, such as academic ones, in which a patriarchal and male dominated system still prevails. Physical and verbal harassment, coercion, social pressure and intimidation are real phenomena at universities. As expressions of sexism that reinforce gender-based inequalities in the distribution of social power these problems should be addressed systematically. The Uni4Equity project proposes a multi-agency cooperation between universities and other relevant social actors to identify, map and respond to online and offline sexual harassment in the academic context and thus promote gender equality within university contexts among students, faculty and administrative staff.

Objectives

  • Strengthen the knowledge of those responsible for gender issues within university environments by improving processes and structures to prevent and support cases of sexual harassment.
  • To promote the exchange of good practices for detecting and combating sexual harassment within university environments.
  • To raise awareness of the importance of preventing and combating all forms of sexual harassment and of the priority role of university settings.
  • To improve the skills of university staff and the tools available to combat sexual harassment in university settings. 
  • Minimise the impact that sexual harassment can have on victims and/or survivors.

Activities

  • Research of the current situation within university environments (procedures, policies, services, strategies that deal with sexual harassment).
  • Review and improvement of university protocols and procedures aimed at combating sexual harassment including against minorities.

·         Primary prevention: Online awareness-raising campaign to promote a zero-tolerance culture against sexual harassment; Online workshop to raise awareness of sexual harassment and gender roles within universities.

  • Secondary prevention: Participatory workshop to promote an intersectional gender approach at the relational and educational level within universities; Workshops aimed at potential witnesses of harassment to encourage them to take an active role (bystander training); Production of an online tool for support and advice to potential victims within the universities involved.
  • Tertiary prevention: online trainings to educate about tools to minimize the impact of sexual harassment on victims-survivors, offenders, and their environments (how to avoid secondary victimisation, how to reduce recidivism,…).

Partners

Contact

​uni4equity@uantwerpen.be ​

Prof. dr. Katrien Schaubroeck, Philosophy Department

Katrien.Schaubroeck@uantwerpen.be

Prof. dr. Sarah Van de Velde,  Sociology Department

Sarah.Vandevelde@uantwerpen.be


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