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Seven years ago, a crowdsourced list of alleged sexual harassers on Indian campuses was published online. The list created a stir, with many women noting that it finally revealed the extent of harassment in these institutions, while those who were named and their supporters argued that putting up such a list was a violation of due process.
What received less attention was the overwhelming failure of institutions to implement measures to keep their campuses safe. As Johanna Deeksha found, a University Grants Commission rule requires every college and university to submit an annual report about the complaints of sexual harassment they receive – but data shows that only a small fraction do so.
In the absence of these safeguards, the systemic problems that enable harassment remain in place. “Colleges and schools should be safe spaces for women,” Deeksha said. “But many campuses simply aren’t doing enough to ensure that they are. Students are unable to trust in the administration to take action when they complain of sexual harassment.”
In fact, she said, “Students seem to fear going to the administration because they worry that it will backfire and they will find themselves in trouble.” She added, “Merely a law doesn't suffice, UGC must be doing more to implement it strictly.”
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Ajay Krishnan,
Senior Editor
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