From Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today (Monday, 28 June 2021) welcomed the publication by higher education institutions (HEIs) of their action plans aimed at ending sexual violence and harassment.
The action plans address the fifteen key outcomes set out in the 'Framework for Consent,' which are clustered into four thematic areas focusing on:
HEIs submitted the plans to the Higher Education Authority’s Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, which has oversight of the framework. They will be available for staff and students to access on HEI websites. HEIs will be required to report every year to the HEA on progress in putting the framework into action.
Minister Harris requested the action plans last year.
The HEA conducted the national survey into staff and student experiences of sexual violence and sexual harassment in HEIs. Close to 235,000 students and 30,000 staff members received the survey from their HEIs. The surveys were developed in consultation with an expert advisory group on ending sexual violence and harassment in higher education.
Minister Harris launched the national staff and student surveys on sexual violence and sexual harassment in HEIs in April 2021 . This asked students and staff to tell any experience of sexual harassment or sexual violence. There were 7,901 responses from students and 3,516 from staff.
The HEA is now analysing the survey results and will present them to the Minister in the coming months.
Minister Harris has also written to each HEI, asking them to consider introducing a domestic violence leave policy to cover all staff.
NUI Galway recently led the way by introducing this policy , which provides paid time away from work, for staff members who have suffered or are suffering from domestic violence or abuse. This leave will allow the staff member to take the time they need to get help in a structured and supportive environment. The NUI Galway policy grants paid domestic violence leave for up to 10 working days a year on a rolling basis.
Minister Harris said:
"Addressing sexual violence is a priority for me and all those in the third-level sector. We must be leaders in this field.
"Each institution has set out for its staff and students what it intends to do in this area and importantly, it must report to the Higher Education Authority in the Autumn and every year after on the progress it is making on introducing its policies.
"It is so important our staff and students have faith in the plans put forward by each institution and that each institution is held to account for its commitments."
Dr Ross Woods of the HEA’s Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion added:
"The HEA welcomes the commitment of HEIs to preventing and remedying all forms of sexual harassment and sexual violence. Creating a safe environment for all students and staff empowers individuals to foster a culture of respect, dignity and integrity.
"Much work has been undertaken across the higher education sector to address sexual violence and harassment in the past 18 months and the HEA is committed to continuing to support our institutions to implement fit-for-purpose policies and reporting systems in this area."
Minister Harris continued:
"It is vital that our work to end sexual violence and harassment in higher education is informed by the experiences of staff and students on campuses – the findings of the national survey that was conducted by the Higher Education Authority in this regard in April of this year will be invaluable in creating a robust evidence base to inform further policy decisions in this area. I look forward to receiving the HEA’s report on findings from this survey in the coming months."
"Our institutions have a duty of care to their staff and this policy builds on, and complements, the work that is ongoing across our higher education system to tackle sexual violence and harassment, and to foster institutional campus cultures that are safe, respectful and supportive.
"Domestic violence continues to be a pervasive problem in our society. Nearly 15% of women between the ages of 18 and 74 have experienced physical and sexual violence in their lifetime, and nearly 31% have experienced psychological violence. While the risk to women is higher, domestic abuse also affects a significant number of men. Figures for 2020, show that the Gardaí received some 43,000 calls to respond to domestic abuse incidents – a 16% increase on 2019.
"Domestic violence does not just have a major impact on the person and their family. It can also have a significant impact on the person’s working life, and their wellbeing."
The 'Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions: Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive – Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions' was launched in April 2019. The framework aims to create a campus culture which is safe, respectful and supportive.
The framework gives several aims for HEIs, students, staff, and for the HEA or the department. In August 2020, Minister Harris wrote to the presidents of the HEIs, asking them to develop action plans to deal with sexual violence and harassment, with reference to the framework. The minister asked the HEIs to submit these plans to the HEA’s Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
The remit of the HEA’s National Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion was extended in 2020 to include making sure the 'Framework for Consent' was put into action.
The centre has also worked with the HEIs and sectoral bodies on the national, sectoral and local rollout of online consent training and online bystander intervention training for all incoming students in the academic year 2020 to 2021. The centre, HEIs and other bodies have also worked on an anonymous report and support tool for bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment issues.
The centre also works with the national advisory committee, HEIs and their representative bodies to: