Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo,[email protected]
FOLLOWING complaints of sexual harassment, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) has launched investigations into institutions of higher learning.
The Commission is calling upon victims and witnesses to submit written complaints, which will be followed by oral hearings.
“IT is hereby notified that, in terms of Section 5 of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission Act [Chapter 10:31], the Zimbabwe Gender Commission intends to investigate complaints of sexual harassment in institutions of higher learning in Zimbabwe,” reads a notice from the ZGC.
“Further to the above notice, an invitation is hereby extended to any victims or witnesses of acts of sexual harassment and abuse in tertiary institutions and institutions of higher learning to submit written complaints, witness statements, and any other supporting documents or evidence that may assist in the investigation.
“Oral hearings will commence thereafter on dates to be advised by the Commission. Any person who wishes to make submissions regarding the above should visit the Commission’s offices or submit them, in writing, to the Chief Executive Officer, Zimbabwe Gender Commission, First Floor, Pax House, 89 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, Harare, or send them to [email protected] by no later than 31 August 2025.”
In 2022, legislators revealed that sexual harassment of female students is rampant at most tertiary institutions in the country, with victims suffering in silence for fear of retaliation by male perpetrators.
In some institutions, there is either no clear sexual harassment policy, or where such policies exist, students are not adequately informed about them.
The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo was singled out as the only institution that has taken deliberate steps to raise awareness about sexual harassment.
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