November 13th, 2020
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR
The Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shah Farman has taken notice of the harassment allegations leveled by female students of Islamia College University against their teachers. Farman has ordered the Governor Inspection Team to conduct an inquiry into the allegations and submit its report within two days.
The development came after the female students of the university held a protest demonstration and demanded action against the teachers involved in their harassment.
The students said that the varsity teachers harass the students during checking of the examination papers and research papers.
The protesting students claimed that they have lodged multiple complaints against the alleged harassers in the faculty but the university administration is not giving any protection to them.
A student told Voicepk.net that some teachers used to ask the female students to meet them alone if they want to resolve their issues regarding GPA, attendance etc.
Another female student said that every university student always desires and works hard to score a good GPA but some teachers use that passion as a weapon to harass the students.
“Such male teachers lure female students by promising them good marks and in some cases ensure them to confer gold medal in their respective degree,” a female student said.
KP passed an amendment to an anti-women harassment law in May this year, however, such incidents are on the rise.
According to the uncertified data, 90 incidents of harassment have been reported to the provincial ombudsman this year. According to the provincial ombudsman, female students are reluctant to lodge complaints due to a lack of awareness among female students.
Rakhshanda Naz ombudsperson for KP terms harassment as a major problem in the educational institutions.
“Most of the females are working in two areas, health and education. The families also feel comfortable if their daughters join either of these two departments.”
Naz praised the students who protested against the harassment incidents because they showed society that harassment is very much present in educational institutions.
“The ombudsperson’s office is actively pursuing and keeping an eye on the harassment case in Islamia College University and we are in liaison with the institution and with the committee formed by the governor,” she said.
Naz added that this incident has alerted all the institutions that they can’t get away with harassment incidents now because they have realized that they will be held answerable for such incidents.