Assessing examination copies on merit, empowering anti-harassment committees and implementing laws might help victims of various harassments, especially sexual harassment, address this burning issue at all universities of Sindh forthwith, educationists and right activists demanded.

Both fourth-year students — Dr Nimirta Chandani and Dr Nosheen Shah — were found dead in their hostel rooms at the Bibi Aseefa Dental College Larkana in September 2021 and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) in November 2021, respectively.

A house officer Parveen Rind who was doing her house job at the nursing section of the Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women in Nawabshah leveled allegations against three officials of the [medical] varsity that they allegedly attempted to beat her to death on her refusal to bow to their “unethical” demands. She also claimed that no students of MBBS and BDS had ever killed themselves, but they all had been murdered. The Sindh High Court (SHC) also took notice and asked for an investigation of her [Parveen Rind] alleged torture.

While crying, she showed torture marks above her wrist in the video clip that went viral on social media recently, but the university`s registrar rejected her statement in a press release.

After the video of Parveen Rind, the Sindh government took an action and formed separate inquiry committees for both cases. The government issued a notification that inquiry committees would conduct a probe into allegations of sexual harassment against the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University Lyari’s (BBSUL) vice-chancellor Prof Akhtar Baloch, and also would look into the charges of negligence and maladministration against Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) Larkana’s vice-chancellor Prof Dr Anila Atta-ur-Rehman.

Both of the VCs were sent on forced leave. In the meantime, the inquiry committees would investigate the charges and submit reports within 45 days, while the acting VCs would look after the varsities.

Hundreds of students and human rights activists from other universities of the province have been holding protests and meetings against harassment in varsities. They are also demanding stern and quick actions against the staff and VCs who have allegedly been involved in serious charges of sexual harassment, following the suicides of two girl students and torturing of a house officer in the interior Sindh,

University of Sindh syndicate member, Prof Dr Arfana Mallah “After an inordinate procrastination, the government swung into action and sent two vice-chancellors of the public varsities on forced leave until the inquiries against them are completed, but if the action would have been taken on time, two daughters of Sindh, Dr Nimirta Chandani and Dr Nosheen Shah, who committed the suicide could have been saved.”

She further added that if the government really intends to nip this evil in the bud, this action would not be enough to control a significant surge in cases of sexual harassment over the past few years.

“It is not a solution to send VCs on forced leave who would definitely come back with a clean chit after investigations being conducted by other VCs or they would move to the court of law and get an order in their favour as it happened in the past as well,” she lamented.

She said instead of sending the VCs on forced leave, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah should have called a meeting with all vice-chancellors of public universities to get the first-hand information-cum-performance reports about anti-harassment committees set up at varsities. He should have empowered the committees, taken their recommendations and introduced a plan to get rid of pending cases of such nature instantaneously. Such actions could have given relief and boosted the confidence of victims.

She continued if these committees have still not been set up at any university, they should be established and made functional forthwith to address this burning issue in educational institutions, where girls feel insecure,

She demanded to increase female members in the syndicate of varsities, give some fruitful incentives on speedy and fair disposal of harassment cases to the anti-harassment committees and above all, add a clause about harassment in the annual confidential report (ACR) of employees. If any employee breaches the code, he/she should never be promoted through the departmental promotion committee (DPC) or the selection board of the authorities concerned.

“I was facing harassment of an unwanted environment not sexual harassment in 2014 when I knew there was no anti-harassment committee at the University of Sindh, then, I approached the varsity syndicate which declined me to take up my case, and referred me to the ombudsman. Finally, I lodged a complaint with the ombudsman. When I was elected as a member of the syndicate, I worked harder to set up the committee and got it notified. The committee has been working since 2017 and to date, it has received 400-500 complaints,” she claimed.

She said on account of increasing complaints, the committee was thinking to establish a secretariat, since it has been receiving myriads of complaints, and the three-member committee also has to conduct a meeting on daily basis.

She said when she was a member of the committee, she looked into the cases and imposed two kinds of penalties — minor and major—minor penalties consist of transfer of employee, cessation or promotion of annual increment and others; major penalty appertains to the dismissal of services. She said minor penalties are imposed, but no public universities of Sindh have imposed a single major penalty so far.

Noted educationist Prof Shehr Bano Kaka strongly condemned sexual harassment in educational institutions and said that the government must take serious and quick actions to control rising cases of harassment in educational institutions. Such cases have been discouraging girls to attend the institutions for higher studies and they are also denting the confidence of parents and guardians as well. In most cases, girls come from such backgrounds where they are unable to explain harassment to their families and also unable to resist such unwanted advances.

She also suggested including chapters in subjects including civics, Urdu and Sindhi which would give full awareness regarding such cases at a school level. She said that students could defend their positions if they are trained with awareness and guidance from time to time.

She commented that generally, girls are striving hard to secure high marks and they fall prey to blackmailing and harassment. University teachers are often seen to be increasing or reducing marks during the assessment of examination copies over their personal liking and disliking, instead of giving marks on merit.

She added instead of the student’s parent university, examination copies of students should be assessed by the teachers of other universities to eliminate the harassment and blackmailing.

She also called for restoring students’ unions to educational institutions and they could play an efficient role in this regard, while media campaigns should be launched against harassment.

She said when the government issues a notification about the appointment of the vice-chancellor of any university, it should induct VCs having strong characters, and otherwise, they could cause a nuisance and damage the reputation of the institutions, even the entire society.

Eminent lawyer, visiting law faculty member and rights activist Ali Palh stressed the need for implementing and amending the ‘Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010’ for preventing harassment. He said that the race of securing higher marks could be discouraged to evolve a strategy by revamping the examinations system in universities. He pleaded for setting up dedicated police check-post including woman police at each and every university so that they can ensure rapid response to any kind of harassment. He asked for including the leader of the opposition and a member of civil society in search committees that recommend and single out new VCs so that their characters could be monitored transparently. He called for appointing complete female staff at girl hostels and installing close circuit TV cameras in corridors of the hostel.

He further added that the tenures of VCs or heads of hostels should never be extended in the larger interest of students as they set up their own empire to enjoy monopoly within the varsities.

He said the national human rights institutions including the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC), the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women and other relevant commissions should be re-designed as per internationally-recognized principles aimed to ensure independence in the society.