Uniport, AFA Seek Justice, Rights, Action for Women and Girls – THISDAYLIVE

As part of activities to mark the 2026 International Women’s Day, the University of Port Harcourt’s Centre for Gender, Conflict and Development Studies, in collaboration with Alliance for Africa (AFA), organised a sensitisation workshop seeking justice, rights, and action for women and the girl child. Blessing Ibunge reports

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a globally recognised occasion celebrated every year on March 8. First observed in 1911, 2026 marks its 115th anniversary. The day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, while also calling for accelerated action towards gender equality. IWD is observed worldwide by governments, civil society organisations, universities, the private sector, and individuals. It serves as both a celebration of progress and a call for justice and rights for women and girls in society.

This year’s theme, “Justice, Rights and Action”, urges individuals, institutions, and governments to go beyond raising awareness and commit to bold, practical measures that advance gender equality and end gender-based violence. The theme emphasises the urgency of turning commitments into meaningful action to protect the rights and dignity of all women and girls.

Sensitisation Workshop Highlights

The Centre for Gender, Conflict and Development Studies of Uniport, alongside AFA, in partnership with Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre and Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), organised a sensitisation programme aimed at achieving justice and rights for women and the girl child. The event also strongly campaigned against campus sexual harassment for both women and men.

Dignitaries, including academics, civil society groups, students, industry leaders, and policymakers, believe that ensuring rights, justice, fairness, and a safe environment for the girl child will foster inclusiveness and development across communities.

During the workshop, participants noted that Nigeria already has legal frameworks protecting individuals from sexual abuse. The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act criminalises many forms of sexual and gender-based violence, while the Constitution guarantees the dignity and equality of every citizen. However, they stressed that justice is meaningful only when these principles are reflected in institutional practice.

Need for Safety on Campus

In her address, Director of the Centre, Prof Owapiriba Abu, emphasised that every student has the right to learn in a safe and respectful environment. She said: “No student should have to choose between academic success and personal dignity. Many victims remain silent because they fear stigma, retaliation, or academic victimisation.”

Prof Abu highlighted the need to end the culture of silence around justice denial and sexual harassment:“Universities are meant to be spaces of learning, intellectual growth, and personal development. Yet for many female students across Nigeria, the campus can also be a place where power is abused and dignity is threatened. 

“Sexual harassment — whether through intimidation, coercion, inappropriate advances, or academic exploitation — undermines the very foundation of education. Justice requires that we acknowledge this problem and confront it honestly. It is not a women and girls issue alone. Everyone must work together to dismantle all areas where rights are undermined.”

She added: “As a university community, we must move from discussion to action. We must strengthen institutional policies against sexual harassment, ensure confidential and accessible reporting systems, protect survivors from retaliation, and promote awareness about consent and professional boundaries. Most importantly, we must build a campus culture where dignity, respect, and accountability are non-negotiable.”

Prof Abu disclosed that the Centre, in collaboration with AFA, publicly launched the findings of a baseline survey on sexual harassment in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

National Campus Climate Baseline Survey Findings

“The National Campus Climate Baseline Survey was conducted by Alliance for Africa across twelve universities (Uniport included) in partnership with each institution’s Centre for Gender Studies. The survey explored sexual harassment, dating violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct, covering both victimisation and perpetration, and assessed existing prevention efforts, support resources, and institutional responses.

“The baseline survey shows that students are coerced into sexual exchanges for academic grades and privileges, threatened for refusing advances, and sometimes transfer universities to escape harassment. Many survivors do not report experiences due to lack of trust in institutional processes, fear of retaliation, and absence of accessible, confidential reporting channels. These are consequences of institutions that have not prioritised the safety and dignity of their communities.”

Prof Abu said anchoring the survey launch to IWD 2026:“Aligns our efforts with a global moment of solidarity and leverages the heightened attention on gender issues to maximise the impact of this important research.”

The Centre called on the Vice-Chancellor and University Management to urgently establish independent sexual harassment response units and review the existing institutional policy published in 2019. They also advocated for strengthening the Uniport Counselling Unit and mandatory staff training on sexual harassment awareness.

Calls for Policy Reform and Gender Equality

In her paper, “Rights, Justice and Action for All Women and Girls”, Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Dr Emem Okon, highlighted social norms and cultural expectations that restrict women’s roles: “Transforming this situation requires laws and policy reforms that promote gender equality, prevent violence, and protect women’s rights. Ensuring women’s representation and participation in decision-making processes is critical to creating policies that reflect their needs and perspectives.”

Prof Heoma Worlu, immediate past director of the Centre, praised AFA’s commitment to campus safety: “Alliance for Africa opened a frontier that allowed victims to speak out. We discovered harassment was often from non-teaching staff, not academics. Alliance for Africa is a commendable and very strong ally in institutional strengthening.”

Confronting Structures that Limit Women 

Vice-Chancellor Prof Owunari Georgewill, represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Admin, Prof Chukwudi Onyeaso, said universities are not just knowledge centres but moral spaces shaping society’s future: “It is compelling and important that we celebrate women, but we must confront structures that limit women’s participation in society. Women remain central to the survival of families, communities, and economies. Yet, paradoxically, women face structural inequalities, limited leadership access, systemic discrimination, and gender-based violence.”

He described the survey launch as a courageous step toward confronting campus realities: “The academic environment must express dignity, certainty, and intellectual freedom for every member of the community, particularly women and girls. Our commitment goes beyond rhetoric; it must be reflected in policies, accountability structures, and a culture of respect.”

Prof Georgewill highlighted women’s leadership within the university: “Two out of three Deputy Vice-Chancellors are women. The struggle for gender justice is a collective responsibility that involves men, institutions, young men, and civil society.”

He concluded: “When women strive, diversity flourishes. When women lead, societies advance. When justice becomes the norm, the promise of development becomes attainable.”