The organization of citizens for the promotion and defense of the rights of children, women, and minorities (CPDEFM), an Ivorian NGO, published a report on sexual violence at Félix Houphouët-Boigny University. For several months, students have been denouncing the reign of silence and asking the administration and the authorities to act against this systemic violence, perpetrated in particular by the teaching staff and other students.
According to the CPDEFM study, at least 69 cases of sexual harassment or violence were recorded during the year 2022 on the university campus. Members of the student movement FESCI (Student and School Federation of Côte d’Ivoire), as well as teacher-researchers, are mainly targeted by the accusations, 40% for the former and 30% for the latter.
“The study also showed that in 80% of cases, the victims remain silent,” notes Silvia Apata, president of the NGO in charge of the study. This violence undermines student life, that of women in particular.
To fight against this gender-based violence within the university, the NGO recommends the establishment of a specialized unit to collect the words of the victims. “The support mechanism, from denunciation to support, should be clearly established. The victims should be able to have their identity-preserved and exemplary sanctions against the perpetrators, against the aggressors. We are mainly asking the Ivorian government to regulate FESCI,” insists Silvia Apata.