Female law students at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) took to the streets on Monday to protest against the alleged sexual harassment by some of their lecturers in exchange for grades.
The peaceful protest was aimed at drawing attention to the worrying experiences of female students at the university, and in the law faculty in particular. The female law students were seen holding placards with slogans condemning sexual harassment, such as “Let the girl with big breasts breathe. Stop suffocating us.”
Some of the students who spoke to journalists voiced their concerns about the toxic atmosphere within the law faculty. They alleged that, instead of addressing their concerns, the school authority has resorted to intimidation in a bid to silence them.
The students specifically singled out the Dean of the Faculty of Law, as a central figure in the alleged misconduct. They accused him of engaging in the practice of demanding sexual favors from female students in exchange for higher grades. The accusations against the senior lecturer have sparked outrage on social media, with many demanding accountability. It has been learned that the immediate spark for the protest was the inability of the law faculty to mobilize the students for the Nigerian Law School. However, the students said that the protest was also about the larger issue of sexual harassment on campus
