In 2010, NUS (National Union of Students) revealed the results of extensive research into students’ experiences of sexual harassment, assault and violence. 

The research found that one in three women students felt unsafe visiting their college and university in the evening.

34 per cent per cent of women students had been physically harassed, while 68 per cent had been verbally harassed.

14 per cent of women students had experienced serious sexual violence, the majority of which was carried out by fellow students. And of these only 4 per cent reported this to their institution.

Further research in 2014 found that one in four students had been inappropriately touched or groped, which disproportionately affected women.

And how do educational institutions deal with this epidemic of sexual harassment on campus?

63 per cent of students have never heard of any policies by their universities that prohibit or tackle sexual intimidation or harassment.

This is absolutely unacceptable.

Despite clear evidence, our institutions insist that there is no fear, no intimidation and no problem. The passing the buck approach of ‘not on my campus’ is completely unacceptable. They must acknowledge the problems and join us in confronting them.

In the next few weeks, students and their unions will be asking their universities and colleges to sign the #ReclaimYourCampus pledge. And we need your help.

This pledge has been created by students and has ten demands: we need policy which leaves no doubt about the consequences of sexual violence; we need training for staff so they can respond to violence against students appropriately and effectively; we need education so students know that harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated; and we need collaboration so we can bring expertise from support services onto campuses. Check out the ten demands here.

We need institutions to pledge to our demands and finally stand up for their students. But they won’t do it unless we can show how strongly people care.

So please sign this petition so we can show education institutes that students, parents, teachers, education workers, and all of society are sick and tired of hearing stories of women feeling unsafe and unwelcome on their own campuses.

Let’s send a message they can’t ignore: we are reclaiming our campuses and we will not tolerate discrimination any longer.