Written by: Ololade Adebayo, Ifeoluwa Adeyemi, Jamila Omodesola Yusuf

Recently, the senate has passed a bill imposing 14yrs jail term for sexual harassment of student
(prevention and prohibition) in tertiary institution. This bill mandate up to 14yrs imprisonment for
educators convicted of sexually harassing student in tertiary institution. The law is a welcome development that will help restore safety and discipline in tertiary institutions.

For too long, many student mostly female have silently suffered from lecturers who use grades to sexually exploit them. Some victims fear voicing out due to shame, being judged and academic disparity. Sadly most cases goes unreported and taken with levity due to doubt and victimization making silence become a culture in most university.

This new law will finally give affected victims a sense of hope and relief that justice will finally be served and will also be a strong reminder that education should be a safe space and not a trap. Although a lot of people argued that a 14yr imprisonment is extreme but it is believed that it sends the right message that lecturers who misuse their positions will face the consequences.

However, while this law is a great development, its impact lies in its proper implementation. Authorities should ensure that the cases are properly investigated and handled with fairness and accountability. There should be clear reporting channels such as Advocacy platforms, counselling services and independent committees to provide support to victims and ensure that their complaints are addressed promptly. Also the law should be harmonized i.e. should protect everyone be it male or female and justice should be served based on the act and not the gender of the offender or victim.

In conclusion, the 14 years imprisonment law for sexual harassment is not just punishment, its about
restoring safety, trust and discipline in our educational system. This law gives hope that one day
every students will be able to walk freely in campuses without the fear of being harassed or
intimidated by so called lecturers.