Vertical Markets

ESHE toolkit on gender-based violence

by Mark Rowe

New practical (and free) guidance for universities to tackle gender-based violence on campus has been produced by the University of Strathclyde and funded by the Scottish Government. The toolkit, which will be adapted for colleges, takes forward the principles set out in the #emilytest campaign set up by Fiona Drouet. The Emily Test Petition was set up after Mrs Drouet’s daughter, Emily, a student at the University of Aberdeen, took her own life in March 2016.

The Equally Safe in Higher Education (ESHE) Toolkit recommends that each university:

– develops a strategy and plan to tackle gender-based violence;
– establishes a Strategic Group to oversee the strategy and appoint a named champion or coordinator to report on progress;
– introduces guidance and training for staff in responding to disclosures of gender-based violence and supporting victims/survivors;
– develops a secure data collection system to record incidences of gender-based violence and undertakes research to ensure the extent and nature of the issue on campus is fully understood;
– ensures well-publicised points of contact for students reporting gender-based violence; and
– introduces policies for staff and students, including a clearly established code of conduct, disciplinary procedures and sanctions for perpetrators of gender-based violence.

Fiona Drouet said: “The launch of the toolkit, along with the Ministerial letter of guidance to the Scottish Funding Council, is a significant turning point with regards to gender-based violence on campus. It is a very important day for all Scottish students. This is Emily’s legacy and I hope both staff and students will feel empowered by this resource. Institutions now have the help they need to pass the #emilytest and I believe that had this been in place while our daughter was at university it could have saved her life. We couldn’t help Emily but the #emilytest can save others – a legacy Emily would be proud of.”

Dr Veena O’Halloran, the University of Strathclyde’s Secretary and Compliance Officer, said: “Universities are well-placed to take a leading role in tackling gender-based violence wherever it may occur, through research, teaching and knowledge exchange. As a socially-progressive University, Strathclyde aims to be at the forefront of this work.”

The Scottish Government’s Further and Higher Education Minister and SNP member of the Holyrood Parliament Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Universities and colleges have a duty to foster a culture on campus that is clear in its condemnation of gender-based violence and gives staff and students the confidence to report unacceptable behaviour. That is why I have made the adoption of the policies and procedures outlined in this toolkit a key feature of my Letter of Guidance to the sector this year. I know universities and colleges are up for the challenge and I am keen to see this commitment translate into real, demonstrable action and change for women living, working and researching on campus.”

Meanwhile at the ST18 Scotland conference in Glasgow yesterday, Gordon MacKenzie, head of security services at Strathclyde, mentioned ESHE and a separate training package drawn up by Strathclyde’s security operations manager Paul Smith, backed by 13 of the 15 Scottish universities, as a campus-specific training course for security officers. More in the June 2018 print issue of Professional Security magazine.

Picture by Mark Rowe; University of Strathclyde, Glasgow city centre.

Related News

Newsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay on top of security news and events.

© 2024 Professional Security Magazine. All rights reserved.

Website by MSEC Marketing