The government announced this Wednesday the formation of a committee responsible for determining a strategy to prevent harassment at universities and colleges, following complaints in several institutions.
In a statement, the executive explains that the team will include representatives from public and private universities and colleges, student federations and higher education associations, the Committee on Citizenship and Gender Equality, and the Committee on Employment and Employment Equality.
It will be responsible for developing a strategy to prevent and combat harassment in higher education institutions, targeting teachers, researchers, non-teaching staff and students.
The commission, which will be coordinated by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, is an initiative of the Minister responsible for that portfolio, Elvira Fortunato, and the Ministers of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, and Deputy and Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes.
“The government rejects all cases of harassment that take place within higher education institutions, which should be spaces of freedom and promotion of the values of equality and respect, without any form of discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, nationality or other”is in the statement.
The decision comes months after complaints of sexual and moral harassment were made public at several higher education institutions.
About a year ago, dozens of complaints of harassment and discrimination at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon were known, identified in a report by the Pedagogical Council of the institution, and similar cases were reported in other institutions in the following weeks.
One of the most recent cases concerns researchers at the Center for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra.
In April, the Minister of Higher Education indicated that an investigation into institutions initiated in response to reports of the case revealed 38 sexual harassment complaints over the past five years, four of which resulted in sanctions.
“By not being underhanded or complacent with these situations, the government had already recommended adopting codes of conduct and good practices aimed at preventing and combating moral and sexual harassment in the academic context, promoting awareness initiatives, facilitating of channels for the presentation of harassment complaints, with flexible mechanisms for impartial review and the development of disciplinary procedures as necessary”adds the statement.
Source: DN
