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November 25th, 2022

Every year November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, marks the start of the UN's Orange the World campaign. The Equal Opportunity Office is participating in the campaign once again with its own awareness raising activities in order to draw attention to gender-based violence at university and beyond.

Sexualized Discrimination and Violence - [Ir]Relevant for Universities?!

The extent of sexualized discrimination, harassment and violence in the context of higher education is often underestimated. Yet even the most recent figures show that universities are anything but violence-free environments. For example, a study conducted at 46 European universities this year (Lipinsky, Schredl, Baumann, Humbert & Tanwar, 2022) reports that nearly two out of three students and staff members surveyed have experienced at least one form of gender-based violence since they first joined their degree program or workplace. The concept of violence used in this case includes pyhsical and sexual assault, incidents of sexual harassment, psychological or economic violence, and violence in the digital space; the forms most commonly disclosed were those of psychological violence and those of sexual harassment.

Gender-based violence affects individuals of all genders, but female students and staff are more affected than their male peers; individuals who do not identify either as women or men are the most affected. Statistically, the likelihood of being subjected to gender-based violence also increases when belonging to an ethnic minority, the LGBTIQ* community, or with an impairment or chronic illness.

For those who experience gender-based violence, their studies and work lives are negatively impacted in various ways. For example, compared to students who have not experienced gender-based violence, those affected are more likely to miss lectures or leave classes altogether, they feel isolated from their fellow students more frequently, consider dropping out of their studies more often, and are more likely to decide to leave the academic system after their currently pursued degree. Affected employees likewise tend to remain absent from the workplace more often, they feel isolated from their peers more frequently, and they are more likely to consider changing jobs or leaving the higher education system than are those of their peers who have not experienced gender-based violence.

But although so many university members experience gender-based violence, only a fraction of incidents are formally reported. As a reason for this, those affected often state that they did not think the conduct was "bad enough" or that they only recognized it as violence after the fact. We would therefore like to use today's occasion to bring the issues of sexualized violence and its consequences to the attention of the university community. Therefore, symbolically, orange posters illustrating and informing about the extent of sexualized violence are placed on two out of three seats in some of the large lecture halls as well as in the dining halls at the Westerberg and in the city.

In addition, the Osnabrück University is joining the campaign coordinated by the Zonta Club Westfälischer Friede, in which - based on the campaign La Panchina Rossa - more than 40 orange benches will be set up in the city and district of Osnabrück. The two benches set up on campus bear the inscription " Hier ist kein Platz für Gewalt gegen Frauen und Mädchen" ("There is no place for violence against women and girls here") and provide a lasting sign of the effort to make Osnabrück University a violence-free place for all its members. Today you can find the benches at the booths of the Equal Opportunity Office in front of the EW building and outside the dining hall at the Westerberg. Feel free to stop by if you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts.

Lastly, we would like to draw your attention to the Directive against Sexualized Discrimination, Harrasment and Violence (PDF, 176 kB) (German version only - please let us know if you need assistance) and introduce our anonymous initial counseling system. With this low-threshold offer, we would like to give those who are affected by gender-based violence the opportunity to have an exchange about what they have experienced and to assess the situation without any pressure to take action. In addition, we provide information on possible further steps and counseling services. If you are in doubt as to whether an incident you have experienced constitutes sexual harassment, you can also contact us.

If you have been affected by gender-based violence or have questions about the subject, it is good to get help.

Counseling & Support

The Equal Opportunity Office

Dr.in Sabine Jösting (sie/ihr)

Tel.: +49 541 969 4767
sabine.joesting@uni-osnabrueck.de

Raum: 52/507
Gleichstellungsbüro
Neuer Graben 7/9
49074 Osnabrück

Sprechzeiten: nach Vereinbarung

Annkatrin Kalas, M.A. (sie/ihr)

Tel.: +49 541 969 4520
annkatrin.kalas@uni-osnabrueck.de

Raum: 52/510
Gleichstellungsbüro
Neuer Graben 7/9
49074 Osnabrück

Sprechzeiten: nach Vereinbarung

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