No student should trade dignity for education – Nyapachuma
By Ludia Ngwadzai
NO STUDENT should be forced to choose between pursuing an education and protecting their dignity, safety and future, Nyapachuma Memorial Foundation executive director Dr Emily Sikazwe has said.
Dr Sikazwe said sextortion remained a serious threat to students’ educational aspirations, particularly when individuals in positions of authority exploited their power to demand sexual favours in exchange for grades, educational opportunities or other benefits.
Speaking at a students summit on sextortion, sexual and gender-based violence in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Sikazwe said behind every case of sextortion was a young person whose family had made sacrifices to finance their education, only for that dream to be threatened by abuse.
“Behind the word ‘sextortion’ is a young person whose family has sacrificed to pay her fees, only for someone in authority to place an unwanted sexual demand between her and her future,” she said.
Dr Sikazwe said victims often endured fear, uncertainty and the risk of losing their educational opportunities if they reported the abuse.
She urged students who had experienced sextortion to understand that they were not responsible for the abuse and deserved to be heard, supported and protected.
“To every student who has experienced this abuse: you are not to blame. You deserve to be heard, supported and protected. Your dreams still matter,” Dr Sikazwe said.
She said while efforts to raise awareness and encourage dialogue had been undertaken over the past three years, stakeholders needed to critically assess whether such interventions were translating into meaningful change.
She said the effectiveness of interventions should ultimately be measured by whether students felt safer and had confidence that reporting abuse would result in action.
Meanwhile, the Coady Institute of St Francis Xavier University in Canada has called for collective action to address sextortion and sexual and gender-based violence, warning that no student should have to sacrifice their dignity, safety or future to access education.
Speaking at the same summit, Coady Institute Women’s Leadership Programme manager Hina Shehzadi said the fight against sexual and gender-based violence required collective attention, courage and sustained commitment from governments, educational institutions, civil society and communities.
Shehzadi said the institute remained committed to advancing community-driven leadership and development through education, capacity-building and partnerships with communities around the world.
“No one should have to sacrifice their dignity, safety, or future to access an education or pursue an opportunity,” she said.
Shehzadi expressed solidarity with Nyapachuma Memorial Foundation, students, survivors and communities affected by sexual and gender-based violence.
She said both Zambia and Canada still had work to do to ensure that people could live and learn free from violence.
“Our commitment to equality is measured not only by the promises we make, but by the changes we are willing to bring about,” Shehzadi said.
