-Female students alarm
BY: Shallon S.Gonlor
NIMBA COUNTY — Sexual violence is amongst several widespread inhuman treatments female students at the Nimba University are allegedly battling.
Following news of the shocking alleged sexual exploitation young women face in pursuing higher education degrees at the university in Sanniquellie City, WOMEN VOICES NEWS embarked on an investigation survey.
According to our Nimba County Correspondent, dozens of female students amitted to this allegation. However, they pleaded anonymity to avoid being targeted by the instructors.
The report of sextortion is tragged by an alleged unethical malpractices within the institution due to the University’s Administration recent placement of more than hundreds students on probation after failing to obtain a require grade point benchmark during the institution’s 2023 Semester.
Our Correspondent said students on probation mostly females spoke out about consistent sexual abuse, which they termed “sex for grades”, which is persistently demanded by professors of the university. He say that their going on academic probation is as the result of their refusal to have sex with them.
Majority of the female students of the Nimba University also told our reporter how they had been repeatedly let down by the higher learning institution’s administration for failing to protect them amid the manner and form females are sexually treated and handle in the entity.
They detailed further that majority of them have been sexually pressured and abusedb lecturers of the university all in the name of getting grades to meet up with the institution’s required Grade Point Average (GPA). Because they (students) refused to accept the lecturers request, It suddenly resulted to them being suppressed and poorly graded.
Few days ago, the Administration of Nimba University substantially took administrative decisions, putting over hundred of students mostly females on academic probation following results of the 2023 semester where about 80% of the instruction’s population were unable to obtain a Grade Point Average of 2.00 and above.
According to some female victims, they have being pressured into sexual acts for education expenses funded by their male ‘sponsors’, professors, and lectures, while some contended that they begin relationships with some other administrators solely to cover education expenses. Others succumb to ‘sex for grades’, coerced by professors abusing their virginity.
With the trending dehumanizing experience at the government only higher learning institution in Nimba County, this all-encompassing reality disprove the aspiration of educational institution as enlightened environments shaping future leaders. Even worse, they are often complicit in perpetuating exploitation.
But in a series of recommendations, the sexually abused females of the university also laid out how the institution could improve, raising alarm to serve as major deterrents to desirous female students.
They stressed an urgent need to address and eradicate the sexual victimisation of female students studying at NU.
The vast majority of respondents on probation are ranging from freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior career students currently seeking Associate of Acts (AA), and Bachelor of Acts degrees. Many also detail the incidents of sexual harassment, assault, and exploration against them by their fellow male gender, professors and lectures of the university.
The number of students however highlighted that when they tried to report their cases to the university’s authority, their privacy will be exposed to public ridicule.
Amid the alarming wide-ranging allegation against the university, its administration has meanwhile refused to make comments, but stated that it takes sexual abuse seriously and handle them robustly, which act had not being reported as it’s alleged.
Established 2010, Nimba University is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the Sanniquellie City.
Recognized by the Ministry of Education of Liberia, Nimba University (NU) is a coeducational Liberian higher education institution, offering courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor’s degrees in several areas of study.
NU also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including as well as administrative services.
-Happy International Women’s Day-
