Senate passes Sexual harassment bill, offenders to get 14-year jail term
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, July 7th has passed the Sexual Harassment Bill.
The Sexual Harassment Bill comes to law to end the abuse of female students in various tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The Sexual Harassment Bill was sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and 106 other senators.
The title of the Sexual Harassment Bill is titled “A Bill for an Act to prevent, prohibit and redress Sexual Harassment of students in tertiary educational institutions and for matters concerned therewith 2019.”
Educators and offenders who break the Sexual Harassment Bill will face up to 14 years jail term, it has a minimum of 5 years without the option of a fine.
Here are some of the clauses in The Sexual Harassment Bill
- Sexual intercourse with a student
- Intimidating or creating a hostile or offensive environment for the student
- Soliciting for sex or making sexual advances
- Demands for sex from a student or a prospective student
- Grabbing, hugging, kissing, rubbing, stroking, touching, pinching the breasts or hair or lips or hips or buttocks or any other sensual part of the body of a student;
- Sending by hand or courier or electronic or any other means naked or sexually explicit pictures or videos or sex related objects to a student
- Whistling or winking at a student or screaming, exclaiming, joking or making sexually complimentary or uncomplimentary remarks
- Stalking a student
- However, Students who falsely accuse educators of sexual harassment will be expelled.
The Sexual Harassment Bill became a voice in Senate after a documentary revealing two lecturers of the University of Lagos involved in asking sex for grades.
2. A Bill for an Act to Prohibit the stigmatization of victims of Rape and insurgency, 2020 (SB. 243) by Senator Sani Musa. pic.twitter.com/RCBtyxtpK4
— The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) June 10, 2020
