Tertiary Institutions Students in Cross River State Organize Under the Campus Square Initiative to Promote Safe Campuses

Participants from tertiary institutions and representatives of GADA at the launch of Campus Square in 2024

Campus Square Initiative

As universities in Cross River State (CRS) struggle to address the serious problem of gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and other negative behaviours on campuses, the safety of many students especially female students is under threat. With support from Gender and Development Action (GADA) Campus Square, an innovative student-driven initiative was launched in 2024 to mobilise students to act, and advocate for appropriate responses by university leadership. Campus Square empowers students to take control of their university experience by identifying problems, building support, and developing solutions to create a safer, respectful, and inclusive community. By putting students at the forefront of change, Campus Square is helping to build university communities that are fair, just, and free from violence and harassment. It seeks to develop and equip a network of female and male activists to become social change agents that spearheads the movement against violence, abuse and violations of rights across key tertiary institutions in CRS namely: University of Calabar, University of Cross River State and Arthur Jarvis University. Collectively these institutions have a total population of approximately 63,000 – 70,000 students.

Why Campus Square

The initiative is built on the understanding that students are a part of the problem – a significant amount of sexual harassment and abuse is perpetrated by male students against female students. The culture of silence and lack of support prevent proper action from being taken against perpetrators. However, it is also acknowledged that students are the drivers of change and that their voices and perspectives are essential in shaping the campus environment and community. The vision envisaged for Campus Square is one that provides a channel for students to identify and act on issues that affect them, embrace positive and healthy lifestyles, foster a culture of inclusivity, respect, and empathy, and empower students to develop leadership skills, civic responsibility, and a sense of social justice.

Inaugurated Campus Square teams across Arthur Jarvis University, University of Cross River State and University of Calabar.

Through Campus Square, students can tackle issues like sexual harassment, victimisation, bullying, and discrimination. This platform allows them to amplify their voices and share their thoughts through peer-to-peer learning, open discussion, and to generate ideas on how to solve problems related to the culture of silence, lack of consent and respect in relationships, and threats to the well-being and safety of students, from other students and administrative and academic staff.

Key Activities

Campus Square will develop a strong network for young leaders and activists vested in changing the negative experiences, perceptions and attitudes around sexual harassment and sexual and gender-based violence on campuses. It aims to promote safer campuses where young people's voices are heard, and an environment where they can pursue their education without fear of harassment, intimidation, and abuse. To achieve this, the initiative focuses on improving skills on several key areas, including:

Advocacy and Awareness: Educating students, faculty, and staff about issues affecting the campus community, such as sexual and gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and victimization.

Leadership Development: Empowering students to take leadership roles in addressing campus issues and promoting positive change.

Social Media Engagement: Leveraging on social media platforms to raise awareness, mobilize support, and promote advocacy efforts.

Partnership and Collaboration: Building partnerships with other campus organizations, local community groups, and national organizations to support advocacy efforts and provide resources for campaigns.

Accountability and Support: Providing support and resources for students who have experienced harassment, victimization, or other forms of violence, and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.

Students’ Response Campus Square

So far, students have responded enthusiastically to Campus Square. Impressive attendance and participation have been recorded during training activities on capacity building and brainstorming and focus group discussion sessions on how to solve the problems and challenges identified. During these activities, some students expressed their views on the initiative as follows:

"Campus Square is a great opportunity for us to come together and address the issues that affect us. We can use social media to raise awareness and mobilize support for our causes."

"I'm excited about the potential for Campus Square to create a network of students and stakeholders across institutions. We can learn from each other and support each other in our efforts to create a safer and more equitable campus community."

Conclusion

The Campus Square initiative gives students the power to identify problems and find solutions and push for change. By providing a safe space for students to speak out and to act, Campus Square is a welcoming and accommodating platform for all students. As the initiative develops and expands, it will be important to document its impact on students and how the university establishment reacts to this student-led effort. By providing a platform for students to lead, organise, and act, Campus Square will foster safety and security from vices such as sexual harassment, sexual and gender-based violence, cultism, bullying, and victimisation. As the main driver of this initiative, GADA provides technical and financial support for implementing Campus Square activities. Mr. Isaac Udoh, Coordinator of Campus Square, encapsulates his vision as follows:

"We envision a campus community where young people's voices are heard, and they are empowered to take action on the issues that affect them. Campus Square is a critical step towards achieving this vision."