80% of sexual harassment perpetrators are repeat offenders — Expert

Eighty per cent of sexual harassment perpetrators are repeat offenders, said the Executive director of Gender Mobile, a non-profit centred on the elimination of Gender-based Violence, Omowumi Ogunrotimi.

She said this on Monday while speaking at a national summit on sexual harassment in tertiary institutions, which the Alliance for Africa (AfA) organised in partnership with the Committee of Gender Directors in Nigeria.

The summit is themed, ‘Combating Sexual Harassment in Nigeria Tertiary Institutions and Strengthening Mechanisms for Change: A Critical National Imperative.’

Ms Ogunrotimi said in most cases, perpetrators are likely to harass more victims because they are often not held accountable.

She said, “Eighty per cent of perpetrators are repeat offenders because we have a poor culture of accountability as a country, and students coming together and fighting as a group can break the culture of silence.

She suggested that sexual harassment is classified as both a civil and criminal offence, noting that this would compel school authorities to take action.

“Sexual harassment should be made a major offence. It should be made both a civil offence and a crime such that authorities in schools are forced to take action,” she said.

Spike in cases

Similarly, the AfA Monitor and Evaluation officer, James Mba, said a survey by the organisation has shown a continuous spike in cases of sexual harassment in schools across the country.

According to him, sexual harassment is reaching epidemic proportions within higher education systems, and there are so many reports of lecturers demanding sex for grades.

However, he said, these cases are masked due to fear of stigmatisation, retaliation, and a lack of safe reporting tools.

Mr Mba also said societal perception and cultural norms have also continued to foster the culture of silence.

He said,” Women are disproportionately affected, with studies showing that they experience sexual harassment two or three times more frequently than their male counterparts.

“A community thrives where respect is mutual. To end harm, we must all stand against it.”

To address this, the African Women’s Development Fund and Former First Lady of Ekiti state, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, said schools at all levels of education must develop and implement policies to combat sexual harassment.

In her keynote speech, Mrs Adeleye-Fayemi said these policies should be tailored to the specific needs of each institution and designed to address the issue proactively, creating a safe and supportive environment for students and staff.

Mrs Adeleye-Fayemi pointed out that although sexual harassment is considered rife in tertiary institutions, it is a crisis that begins at the secondary school level, but this is often ignored.

The former First Lady also emphasised the need to incorporate gender issues, along with the influence of patriarchy and harmful social norms, into the school curriculum.

Minister speaks

However, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said progress has been made in the fight against sexual harassment, and the effort must continue.

She said there are cases in a few universities that have shown that sexual harassment in schools can be eradicated in Nigeria.

“Specific cases, such as those involving lecturers from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and recently the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have served as wake-up calls.

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“These incidents demonstrated the urgent need for robust reporting systems, survivor-centred support mechanisms, and swift disciplinary action against perpetrators.

“While these cases have caused public outrage, they have also catalysed positive changes, including the reinforcement of sexual harassment policies in several institutions.”