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Ruth Butaumocho and Ella Mukwati
At least 80 percent of tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe do not have a sexual harassment policy, a development that has seen an increase in such cases, a baseline survey has revealed.

The survey, carried out by the Female Student Network, a female student representative group affiliated to all tertiary institutions, revealed that of the 21 institutions that took part in the survey, only four had policies in place.

Presenting the results of the survey at a national conference for tertiary institutions held in Harare last week, an official with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Mr Ernest Chimbodza said Midlands State University, Bindura, Mutare Polytechnic and the Great Zimbabwe University were the only four institutions that had policies on sexual harassment.

Chinhoyi University of Technology was working on a draft policy that would be ready soon.

Mr Chimbodza urged other tertiary institutions to expedite the implementation of sexual harassment policies to curb increased cases of such form of abuse that were rampant at centres of higher learning throughout the country.

According to the report, about 60 percent of female respondents revealed that they would not report gender based violence and sexual harassment acts perpetrated against them for fear of victimisation.

They also did not have adequate information on where to lodge their complaints.

“Government has already shown the way by putting in place similar statutes and laws that protect women from all forms of abuse,” he said.

The report also noted that rather than focusing on curbing sexual harassment of female students by their colleagues and lecturers, authorities were more concerned about preventing students’ unrest; demonstrations and industrial actions.