Blackmail And Harassment Forces Women Out Of University Of Balochistan

Blackmail And Harassment Forces Women Out Of University Of Balochistan
Blackmail and harassment of women at the University of Balochistan has forced them to leave the university, following allegations of sexual blackmail that threw the academic institution in the spotlight.

A report by Aljazeera has revealed that students were forced to leave the university after sexual harassment by members of the university.

One student, who had missed her deadline to submit her admission application to the university, was offered help by a faculty member. After she submitted the forms, the teacher started messaging her, mostly at night, and threatened to cancel her admission when she did not reply.

In October, the university had been hit by a scandal as students had alleged that the administration was engaging in sexual blackmail of students using footage recorded by cameras on the campus, even in bathrooms. The protests following the incident had resulted in the vice chancellor’s resignation, and parents had pulled their daughters out.

The increased securitisation of the campus was a result of the wave of terrorism that struck Pakistan in the last two decades. There now exist numerous checkpoints within the university, with students alleging that security personnel used to throw their numbers written on pieces of paper at women students.

Security officials would also ask for bribes, up to Rs 50,000, from students found with members of the opposite gender.

Moreover, women who have been the victims of harassment may be too scared to come forward due to what they say was the ‘tribal’ and ‘conservative’ nature of their society.

Naya Daur Media (NDM) is a bi-lingual progressive digital media platform aiming to inform and educate Pakistanis at home and abroad. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow us on Facebook   Twitter and Instagram Visit our Urdu website