Prof. Pondi and the pageants made the appeal on the campus of the ICT University on Thursday, September 14, 2023. They were speaking during an event organised to rid the American-styled institution of all forms of misconduct in and out of the school milieu.
Discussions also touched on chatting ways to address the vice of social misconduct that is ravaging the Cameroonian society. For over an hour, Prof Pondi, a renowned university don and the five beauty pageants educated students on how to curb and rise up against sexual harassment.
Prof. Pondi told reporters that: “we are living in a society where these things are hardly reported making it spread like wildfire. So we organised this forum to create an awareness in the students especially so that they can join in the fight against sexual harassment in the school milieu”.
The ICT University VC also highlighted the importance of students rising against the social vice. He said they must be exemplary in their speeches, thoughts and actions.
“The students are at the center of this, so they need to stand firm and say no to it. I think if they themselves stand their ground, it will go a long way to eradicate it from our campus and why not the society…,” Prof. Pondi said.
The beneficiaries of the enriching discussion, were very pleased with the initiative.
One of the students of ICT University who attended the session told News Upfront that: “I have been schooled on how to say no to sexual harassment. We girls are mostly victims of such but with this forum it is like a commitment I am taking to say no to sexual harassment”.
The forum had as main objective to train students and staff on reporting cases of sexual harassment. They were also schooled on sexual misconduct, building a harassment-free campus, procedures of reporting cases and most importantly measures of preventing sexual harassment.
The discussion took place at a time when the school is in the heat of preparations towards the university’s fall semester that comes up in October.
Admission at the school is currently going on to recruit students into one of Cameroon’s pride in higher education that the ICT University is.
The ICT University remains a very strong force in the digitalization of education in the country. It trains students to fit squarely into the global trend of digitalization and contribute in the growth and development of the society. Over the years, the university has produced many job creators who are doing extremely well in the society.