The Senate has passed the Sexual Harassment Bill which is to stop sexual abuse of female undergraduates in tertiary institutions in the country.
The bill titled: ‘A Bill for an Act to prevent, prohibit and redress Sexual Harassment of students in tertiary educational institutions and for matters concerned therewith, 2019’, was sponsored by the Deputy Senate President. Ovie Omo-Agege, and 106 other senators.
The bill is aimed at fostering and protecting ethical standards in tertiary institutions and other issues. It would also shield students from sexual harassment, as well as discourage educators in tertiary institutions from sexual abuse of students.
The bill which has 27 clauses, proposed up to 14 years jail term, with a minimum of 5 years, without an option of fine for any educator who commits sexual offenses in tertiary institutions. The bill defines sexual offenses as including sexual intercourse with a student or demands for sex from a student or a prospective student or intimidating or creating a hostile or offensive environment for the student by soliciting for sex or making sexual advances.
Other forms of sexual harassment identified in the bill include grabbing, hugging, kissing, rubbing, stroking, touching, pinching a student’s breast or hair or lips or hips or buttocks or any other sensual part of the student ‘s body; or sending naked or sexually explicit pictures or videos or sex-related objects by hand or courier or electronic or any other means to a student and whistling or winking at them.
When the bill was read on the Senate floor and passed its second reading in November 2019, Omo-Age expressed concerns that this could be used by some female students as an excuse to make false statements against a lecturer or educator.
“On suggestions of inadequate sanctions for students who falsely accuse educators of sexual harassment, the reality is that this bill prescribes expulsion for those students. In addition, an educator whose character is maligned is at liberty to sue for defamation under the law of defamation which is well-settled in our jurisprudence and needs no duplication in this bill.
There is also the suggestion that some students, especially females, harass educators by their mode of dressing and that this bill may not be doing enough to protect educators. I understand this concern. However, the educator can activate institutional disciplinary actions against such students,” he explained.
The bill was read for the first time on October 9, 2019.
