The Times
*Take action against 'sex pests'**Nozipho Dlamini, Pretoria, Letters, The Times, Johannesburg, 2 August, 2013*
I was pleased to learn that the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg has dismissed two of its employees who were found guilty of sexual harassment ("Wits sacks two in 'sex pest' row", yesterday). It will send a strong message to other would-be sex pests.
When students leave their homes for institutions of higher learning, they leave with a strong belief that they will be transformed and adequately equipped to face life's challenges, especially in this very competitive world where survival depends on adaptability and skills.
It is for this reason that it is infuriating that the very people who are supposed to impart knowledge to these young people end up visiting these despicable acts on them.
Students allege that some lecturers solicit sexual favours from them in exchange for better academic pass marks in their respective courses. Who does that? What has happened to us as a people?
Even though there is no official data in this country on the prevalence of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions, I am almost certain that this tendency is rife and most cases of sexual assaults in these institutions are not reported.
In June this year, a senior official at a university of technology was suspended for allegedly sexually harassing students.
In July last year, a lecturer at the same university was allegedly dismissed after a female student accused him of demanding sexual favours in return for good grades.The student said she had failed the subject after refusing to have sex with him.
Sexual harassment in education should be regarded as extremely serious, simply because equal learning opportunities, especially for female students, cannot be guaranteed in such a negative environment.
This cannot go on unabated. Something must be done.All our institutions should always work to improve and adjust the systems in place regarding rape and sexual assault to ensure safety and respect for all students.
However, we should all applaud Wits University for its stance that it will not tolerate any form of sexual harassment on its campuses.
It is high time that learning institutions broke the silence and developed policy guidelines on sexual harassment and sensitised students on their rights.
*From: http://www.timeslive.co.za/ilive/2013/08/02/take-action-against-sex-pests-ilive*
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