Opinion analysis by Tala Al Otaibi, Staff Writer

July 21st, 2020

Sexual harassment has been an ongoing issue around the world for decades. Sexual predators have been granted little to no punishment many of the times. Sexual assault and sexual harassment, unfortunately, are things that occur in many settings, regardless of age, race, or gender. College campuses are no exception to the issue. College students all over the globe are prone to sexual assault from fellow peers, or even professors and other university staff members. 

In far too many cases, victims of sexual assault and/or sexual harassment are too afraid to report the incident. Regrettably, following a majority number of harassment cases, victims may be blamed for the incident or, simply, disregarded and ignored completely. While both men and women are prone to sexual assault, the issue is predominantly faced by women. Female sexual assault victims living in patriarchal societies are often left unprotected following the assault. Unfortunately, in such societies, the priority tends to be protecting the man and his future. In societies like those in the Middle East, the male reputation is considered something sacred. According to the SIGI, around two-thirds of countries in the MENA region lack proper legislation that tackles sexual harassment, rape, or domestic violence. 

While college campuses are expected to be a safe space for all their students and staff, that is not always the case. The incidents of blaming the victim and protecting the predator still tend to occur on college campuses. Sexual assault affects millions of people around the globe. However, the youth are at the highest risk of such assault. College campuses must recognize that and act accordingly. While many have, others have not. 

In the United States, universities must follow Title IX, which ensures the protection and support of sexual assault victims on campus. However, very often in the context of the Middle East, many incidents go unreported because of honor culture. Since honor culture entails that a family’s honor rests on its female members’ purity, girls are often too afraid to report any incident in order to avoid repercussions and backlash. Such backlash could include taking the girl out of university and may go as far as killing her in the name of honor.

Much like other forms of trauma, sexual assault or abuse can have long-term problematic effects on an individual’s mental health. Victims of such incidents are very prone to developing mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder . Developing such conditions may be very problematic for victims attempting to pursue an education. It could very much hinder their academic performance. Victims may see their abuser on a daily basis, which could also be very problematic for them. 

In order to tackle such problems, universities must implement stricter rules and repercussions in order to protect all of their students and ensure that their education will not be hindered. Furthermore, it is very important for universities and colleges to take action in raising awareness on the issue, since this is something that is not talked about very often in our region. Students must know that it is safe for them to come forward and report such incidents without receiving backlash in return. 

Education and awareness must start from the very beginning. In order to avoid issues like this rising on college campuses, they must also be avoided on the streets and in schools. This needs extensive effort from the governments in the Middle East. Protests and movements are going on all over the world in order to help bring victims justice and in order to hold predators accountable. The youth have taken to social media in order to raise awareness on the issue and warn others about predators that they know of. The most recent example of this was the widespread case regarding Ahmad Zaki that went viral in Egypt, back in July. 

The youth are a very powerful generation that is very capable of change. The protests happening in Egypt, as well other places, have large chances of motivating the government to move towards change and to implement laws that will be able to protect victims. Eradicating this issue will not be easy. However, with the determination of the youth and more generations to come, we can always hope that things will turn around one step at a time.