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Society
Sex Abuse is Undermining Girls' Education
by Anuja Agrawal
The recent
rape of a nine-year-old class four schoolgirl within the premises of her
primary school - a Delhi-government run institution - on July 17 is a
shocking reminder that sexual violence and harassment in and around
school is emerging as one of the significant factors behind the gender
gap in education. According to Amnesty International's 2008 report, 'Safe
Schools: Every Girl's Right, All Over the World', violence and
harassment in and around schools keeps innumerable girls out of school.
The report indicates that even in the best of circumstances young girls
suffer numerous forms of psychological violence and participate only
partially in school life.
Significantly, the Millennium Development Goals, which have been adopted
by over 190 countries in 2000, do not factor in the significance of
dealing with violence against girls in its call for universal primary
education and gender equality. The Amnesty report calls for the state to
take urgent notice of this violence that denies girls their basic human
right to education. And though a number of initiatives have been taken
to address this issue in Latin America and Africa, India lags far behind
in ensuring that each girl gets a safe and secure environment to study
in.
As found by the Human Development Report (1998), only five countries lag
behind India with respect to the gender gap in literacy rates. In fact,
the People's Report on Basic Education (1999) - prepared by a team of
researchers based at the Centre for Development Economics, Delhi, and
other institutions - had even found that no country in the world has a
higher male-female gap in literacy than the state of Rajasthan.
The prevalence of the risk of violence against girls in schools is
perhaps one of the main reasons for this gap. Factors such as distance
from school, educational expenses and inadequate infrastructure that
plagues most Indian schools increase this risk, states the Amnesty
report.
Although both boys and girls experience violence in school, the sexual
violence and harassment directed at girls is far more pervasive and has
a more serious impact on their education, both in the short and long
term. It is unfortunate that many girls come to accept such violence as
the price they have to pay for their education.
Teachers and peers are not the only perpetrators of violence in schools;
administrators and even outsiders encountered on the way to the school
are major threats. In male-dominated settings, the possibility of sexual
harassment in and on the way to school acts as a deterrent to sending
girls to school, especially when they reach puberty. These apprehensions
are particularly strong in villages that do not have facilities for
schooling beyond the primary level.
In urban settings, the sexually charged rumor campaigns, now
increasingly via the Internet and mobile phones, often target female
students. Such 'cyber-bullying' is on rise in many countries and India
also figures on this list. This form of harassment is much more
intrusive than face-to-face bullying. Technologically savvy forms of
harassment permit a cloak of anonymity to their perpetrators, thus
making it difficult to curb the menace.
Both male and female teachers across different societies have been found
to overlook the conduct of boys when it is disruptive of the girls'
attempts to participate in classroom activities. The use of explicit and
embarrassing language, targeting girls, too, seems to not be
discouraged.
A disturbing finding of the report is that male teachers in many parts
of the world take advantage of their powerful position vis-à-vis young
girls and engage in inappropriate and intimidating behavior. In some
countries, the sexual relations of girls with male teachers are so
common that a special vocabulary has evolved to describe it. For
instance, in Togo in West Africa, the term 'notes sexuellement
transmises' describes the good marks attained by a girl as a
consequence of a sexual relationship with a teacher; and another term -
BF, or 'bordello fatiguée', denotes the fatigue of a girl
exhausted as a result of having had sex with several teachers.
India also has a dubious track record in this regard, with reports of
teachers and principals raping and molesting girls not being uncommon. A
case of the stripping of young girls to discover which of them was
menstruating has been reported from Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, in November
2004, to the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women. Reports of sexual
abuse of girls in schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)
surface with disturbing regularity. And the wholly inappropriate
solution to this violation suggested by the MCD is to keep male teachers
out of girls' schools. Another common response is for schools to impose
dress codes on girls and stricter restrictions on their physical
mobility.
Another disquieting find has been that girls from the minority and
marginal communities as well as those located in conflict-torn areas
face more serious forms of violence. And predictably, in such
conditions, the education of boys is always given priority.
Unfortunately when it comes to reporting abuse and seeking redress, the
world over, girls have been conditioned not to complain. The report
notes boys are usually encouraged to be active and aggressive, but girls
are expected to be demure. They are thus discouraged from reporting
sexual overtures and teasing.
Most schools do not even have an established mechanism of reporting and
handling gender-based violence. In India, while not many formally report
such abuse, those who do are not assured of any action. And, in most
cases, the offending teachers usually go unpunished or are, at the most,
transferred!
Solutions to this grave problem are many - provided authorities are
willing to pay heed to some of the suggestions made in the report. A
prohibition of all forms of violence against girls through enactment and
enforcement of appropriate laws, policies and procedures, is one of the
foremost recommendations. Confidential and independent reporting
mechanisms, effective investigations, criminal prosecutions when
appropriate, and services for victims and survivors are also vital to
combat the menace. Also, the development and enforcement of codes for
conduct for all school staff and students, as well as the training of
staff in early intervention strategies is a must.
Provision of sex-segregated toilets, supervised playgrounds and sports
fields are recommended as compulsory. Schools also need to provide
adequate support services and counseling for girls, who have suffered
violence. Significantly, the report suggests that the barriers to girls'
access to school will be removed by eliminating all fees for primary
school and by making secondary schools accessible to all, especially
those from marginalized groups.
In the light of these, the Madras High Court's recommendation of
formulating an independent and confidential monitoring system in schools
to prevent sexual abuse - in April this year Justice K.N. Basha
recommended this while denying bail to a teacher accused of sexually
harassing a 13 year old girl - is definitely a positive move.
July 27,
2008
By arrangement with
WFS
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