Preventive Measures on Sexual Violence against Female Students in Two Selected Countries: Lessons for Polytechnics in South-West Nigeria

Abstract

Sexual violence against female students is a thriving academic vice in tertiary institutions in most countries of the world, Nigeria inclusive. This derogatory act perpetrated by male lecturers robs the ivory tower of academic dignity and integrity thus making certification an exercise in falsehood. Sexual violence is a major problem in Polytechnics in South-West Nigeria. This paper therefore examined sexual violence and sexual violence preventive measures adopted in tertiary institutions in Australia and South –Africa to checkmate the menace and how such can be adopted by Polytechnics in South-West Nigeria. In the two countries where the incident of  sexual violence is alarmingly high, institutions jointly organized campaign against sexual violence while men staged peaceful protest to show that they felt the pain of the women and that they are ready to support them to rid the society of the callous act. The paper suggested that all polytechnics in South-west Nigeria should come together to wage war against this demeaning act and also to involve men actively in sexual violence preventive measures in their institutions.

Keywords: Sexual violence, female students, polytechnics, preventive measures