PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has taken important steps to ensure a conducive educational environment for female students and gender equality by continuing the series of reform measures in government universities.
It has been decided to immediately implement anti-harassment laws in government universities of the province, under which the Chief Minister’s Secretariat has sent a letter to the Higher Education Department in this regard.
The letter states that although there is a framework consisting of various laws, guidelines and policies to prevent sexual harassment of women in educational institutions and offices, there are shortcomings in the practical implementation and effective implementation of this framework in some universities. Due to this, alleged incidents of harassment in some universities have been reported in the media in recent days, of which Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has taken strict notice.
The letter states that such alleged incidents in educational institutions are not only a serious violation of the prevailing laws but also of our moral values.
The current provincial government is implementing a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment, especially in educational institutions. Protection of female students and staff from harassment is a legal requirement as well as a basic condition for women’s access to education. For this purpose, the Higher Education Department has been directed to ensure necessary measures in all higher educational institutions under its management.
The letter states that students studying in higher educational institutions should be fully informed about the existing anti-harassment laws. Harassment inquiry committees should be formed in every university as per the prevailing law and policy and focal persons including at least one woman should be appointed in this regard, whose contact numbers should be published on the websites of the universities.
Furthermore, an effective mechanism should be devised for redressal and reporting of complaints related to harassment. In this regard, strict implementation of the protocols and guidelines issued by the Higher Education Department should be ensured.
All higher educational institutions have been directed to ensure implementation of these orders within ten days and submit a report. The letter clarified that strict action will be taken against the relevant authorities of the institutions who fail to implement them within the stipulated time under the prevailing laws.
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