Five public and private universities will strengthen their institutional mechanisms for preventing and responding to sexual harassment and gender-based violence on campus under a new partnership between the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh and UN Women.
The initiative will focus on strengthening internal complaint committees, improving reporting and referral systems, and raising awareness among students and staff about mechanisms for addressing sexual and gender-based violence.
The five universities are Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur; Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet; Khulna University; Daffodil International University; and American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB).
UGC and UN Women formalized the partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the UGC Auditorium in Dhaka on Thursday under UN Women’s European Union-funded Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Public Spaces, Workplaces and in Tertiary Educational Settings in Bangladesh (ESGBV) project.
The initiative comes amid growing concerns over gender-based violence affecting young women, including technology-facilitated violence.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ (BBS) 2024 National Violence Against Women Prevalence Survey, 16% of women aged 20 to 24 experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence in the previous year.
Through the ESGBV project, UN Women and its civil society partner Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) will work with the five universities to strengthen their internal complaint committees and institutional mechanisms, improve reporting and referral systems, and raise awareness among students and staff.
The partnership will also support implementation of the 2009 High Court directives on preventing sexual harassment, which require educational institutions and workplaces to establish effective mechanisms to prevent and address such incidents.
The project will also introduce social and behavioral change campaigns at the universities aimed at challenging harmful gender norms and promoting safer and more respectful learning and working environments.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, UGC Chairperson Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed stressed the importance of collective action to ensure that higher education institutions provide safe and enabling environments for students and staff.
“True academic excellence can never be achieved in an environment where fear, harassment and discrimination exist. Our universities must remain spaces where students, especially women, can pursue their dreams, explore their potential and express their intellect without the looming shadow of gender-based violence,” he said.
Representing the European Union, Baiba Zarina, deputy head of delegation and head of the Political, Economic, Trade, Press and Information Section, said the agreement could help turn existing standards into practical measures and strengthen institutional responses.
“Today’s signing matters because it could help translate standards into practice, strengthen institutions and give students and staff the confidence that their concerns will be heard and addressed. The lessons generated here can improve higher education across the whole of Bangladesh,” she said.
UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh highlighted the importance of strong institutional systems, accountability and coordinated action to prevent violence against women and girls.
“Safe campuses are essential for young women and girls to pursue their education and aspirations. It is our collective responsibility to create safer learning and working environments so women can achieve their full potential without the fear of harassment and violence,” she said.
A discussion moderated by Shrabana Datta, manager of the Ending Violence Against Women Unit at UN Women, also highlighted commitments from the vice-chancellors of the participating universities.
The signing ceremony brought together UGC officials, members of the UGC Executive Committee, vice-chancellors and representatives of the five participating universities, along with representatives of the European Union, UN Women and other stakeholders.
The agreement marks another step in the implementation of the ESGBV project, which seeks to strengthen institutional responses, improve access to complaint and referral mechanisms, increase awareness and address social and institutional attitudes that contribute to sexual and gender-based violence.
The broader goal is to create safer and more inclusive campuses where students and staff can learn, work and participate fully in university life without fear of sexual harassment or gender-based violence.