A
university-the place to be for whosoever intends to to pursue his or her studies
in higher education.
After
decades of intense fights taken up by human rights activists and other civil
society organizations, in a die hard African
traditional context, the girl child’s social status is gradually but steadily
gaining recognition. Changing from the
general belief of [a household commodity to a person with reasoning faculties just like the boy
child].
Thank
goodness for all those who fought this fight. Be it in the domain of
traditional beliefs, religious doctrines, or political will. Now, the girl
child can continue schooling up to her doctorate degree if she feels like it.
Unfortunately,
for our sisters who continue schooling up to the university level, these girls
find themselves confronted to a very de-grading, immoral and non-professional
practice which in effect is sexual harassment. University lecturers who are
prompt to having body pleasures with their young and beautiful female students
go on to sanction these brilliant girls works with remarks and points that do
not reflect their true intelligence.
When the
girls try to inquire on the poor marking done by their lecturer, she is now put
before the real intensions of this lecturer. Intensions which essentially
consists in having sex with the young woman. No less, no more. Given that most
of these university lecturers are already married men.
This is how
female students who are in their master’s and doctorate degree programs, who
for their mémoires need a supervisor [a
university lecturer] to guide them through till their defense face intense
sexual harassment. These supervisors use phrases like :
-if you
accept, i make you have your diploma.
-You cannot
succeed without me… etc
It took the
courage and bravery of a young university female student who recorded the phone
call one of these bad lecturers did to intimidate her. She later sent this
recorded phone call to a radio station which eventually spread the news like
wild fire. The academic institution’s authorities were caught short. But still,
they had to sanction this bad lecturer.
The truth
is, this young woman’s case is just one that eventually went public. If not,
there are thousands of young girls who are sexually harassed by their lecturers
and who give-in for fear of academic failure.
Our project
is to create a journal in our university and eventually represented in all
universities in our country. A journal with complete autonomy with respect to
any university authority. A journal run and headed by girls themselves
university students and therefore closer
to their fellow university mates. All these to develop a safe heaven for young
brilliant university female students. May they undergo their studies without
any extra-curricular strings attached to it.
