Universities will maintain an anti-harassment policy until a prevention strategy is in place.

The Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP) said this Wednesday that universities will maintain the measures already in place to prevent and combat harassment until the government’s strategy is determined.

The government announced this Wednesday the establishment of a commission that will be responsible for defining a strategy to prevent harassment at universities and polytechnics following complaints from several institutions.

In response to this measure, CRUP praised the initiative of the Ministers of Science, Technology and Higher Education Elvira Fortunato, MP Ana Catarina Mendez and the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security Ana Mendez Godinho.

However, he adds in his statement that the universities cannot wait for the commission’s conclusions, and assured that the universities will continue the measures already taken.

“All the mechanisms that have already been launched – codes of ethics and conduct, message portals, guarantees of anonymity, legal consultations, psychological support units, etc. – must be continued and become fully operational,” the publication writes. Council of Rectors.

The statement, quoted by the president of CRUP, said that interrupting this policy would be “the worst thing that could happen” and that the victims cannot wait for the government’s strategy to be completed.

António Sousa Pereira also insists on the need for higher education institutions to establish psychological support and victim counseling offices, which “then can adapt their working methods and interventions to the approved national strategy.”

“The main thing is that its installation is complete and its functioning is guaranteed to facilitate quick listening and subsequent support for anyone who feels like a victim of inappropriate behavior,” adds the dean.

The commission, announced this Wednesday by the government, coordinated by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, will be composed of representatives from universities and polytechnics, public and private, higher education student federations and associations, the Citizenship Commission. gender equality and the Commission for Equality in Work and Employment.

He will be responsible for developing a strategy to prevent and combat harassment in higher education institutions, targeting faculty, academic staff, non-teaching staff and students.

The decision comes months after complaints of sexual and moral harassment were made public at various higher education institutions.

Also last year, the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon was aware of dozens of complaints of harassment and discrimination, identified in the report of the Pedagogical Council of the institution, and in the following weeks, similar cases were registered in other institutions.

One of the most recent cases involves researchers at the Center for Social Research at the University of Coimbra.

In April, the Minister of Higher Education indicated that an inspection of institutions launched after the case was reported had uncovered 38 complaints of sexual harassment over the past five years, of which four resulted in sanctions.