Kenyan students launch #CampusMeToo national campaign to end sexual harassment on campuses
London, Nov. 19, 2019 (AltAfrica)-Kenyan students at the University of Nairobi have launched the #CampusMeToo movement which aims to tackle the sexual harassment of students on Kenyan university campuses.
The movement comes after ActionAid and UN Women teamed up and conducted a survey which reportedly found that 1 in 2 female students and 1 in 4 male students have been sexually harassed to some degree at the hands of staff at Kenyan universities.
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The youth in institutions of higher learning in 🇰🇪 are speaking out! & standing up against sexual harassment!
— UN Women Kenya (@unwomenkenya) November 19, 2019
✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽
They are putting colleges & universities leaders to account to prioritise policies & their implementation 4 protection against sexual violence #CampusMeToo pic.twitter.com/DGeWmOEQjp
The student-led Kenyan extension of the now global #MeToo movement also comes after South Africa’s #AmINext movement which protested increasing rates of gender-based violence and femicide while the BBC Africa‘s recent documentary Sex For Grades was an explosive exposé on sexual harassment going happening in West African universities.
.@unttheatre playing an amazing performance on sexual harassment in the the institutions of higher learning. #CampusMeToo@sdgambassadors @GenderInKenya @unwomenkenya @ActionAid_Kenya @IMARATVKE @GP_Kenya @uonbi pic.twitter.com/rQTbyHKYOX
— John Miano 🇰🇪 (@MianoJN) November 19, 2019
Project coordinator for the campaign Macrine Ondigo says, “Sexual harassment targeted at students in higher learning institutions in Kenya is a deeply ingrained issue.”
Ondigo adds that, “It continues to undermine human rights and unfairly deprives the youth of Kenya a safe environment in which they can thrive, innovate and contribute positively to their personal and educational development.”
Every student has a right to education without harassment..
— Kathure Valentine (@Valthush) November 19, 2019
Say no to sexual harassment in campus#CampusMeToo , #SexForGrades pic.twitter.com/ChvNhe9gSe
Part of the demands by the students include mandatory induction sessions for newly enrolled students, training sessions for university staff in terms of prescribed sexual harassment policies and the appointment of an investigation committee on all campuses that will handle sexual harassment cases.
[…] Kenyan students launch #CampusMeToo national campaign to end sexual harassment on campuses […]