Actions aimed at preventing sexual violence in higher education fit perfectly with the creation of a safe and healthy environment for mental health. Since 2017, the Act to prevent and fight sexual violence in higher education institutions obliges, among other things, institutions to adopt policies to combat sexual violence, to provide training for students and staff and to set up awareness-raising activities. In 2023, the Department of Higher Education published a report on the implementation of the law.
Over the years, various measures have been taken to support this commitment in higher education institutions. Here are just a few examples:
- Clear institutional policy and procedures to prevent and respond to sexual violence in its entirety.
- Awareness campaigns and training offered to educate about the consequences of sexual violence, promote respectful and consensual behaviours, and ways to support victims of sexual violence.
- Specific services offered to students and more specifically to victims of sexual violence.
- Easy, confidential access to a secure system for reporting sexual violence.
- Development and application of clear, fair, and consistent disciplinary measures for all reported cases and against perpetrators of sexual violence.
All these elements are part of the law and must be reported to the Department of Higher Education.
Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (2023) Loi visant à prévenir et à combattre les violences à caractère sexuel dans les établissements d’enseignement supérieur. Rapport de mise en œuvre.
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