UNIMED VC Urges Female Students to Speak Up Against Sexual Harassment, Violence
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, Professor Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, has urged female students to speak up against sexual harassment, gender-based violence and other forms of abuse, stressing that no student should have to sacrifice her dignity to achieve academic success.
Adejuyigbe gave the charge while delivering an address at the grand finale of the National Female Students Association of Nigeria (NFSAN), Ondo State Chapter’s self-defence skills training programme, themed “Not a Victim: Self-Defence Skills for a Safer Tomorrow,” held on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
The Vice-Chancellor, who spoke on “Self-Defence Skills for a Safer Tomorrow: Empowering Female Students to Live Without Fear,” described personal safety, dignity and freedom from intimidation as fundamental to the empowerment of female students.
She commended NFSAN for the initiative, noting that self-defence extended beyond physical combat to include situational awareness, confidence, recognising warning signs, setting personal boundaries and knowing when to seek assistance.
According to her, female students must be empowered to recognise inappropriate advances, reject unwanted relationships and report abuse without fear of victimisation, intimidation or academic consequences.
“Your NO is a complete sentence. It does not require an apology or an explanation,” she said, while advising students to prioritise their safety and escape from dangerous situations whenever confronting an aggressor could put them at greater risk.
Adejuyigbe emphasised that no woman was responsible for violence committed against her, adding that responsibility rested with the perpetrator rather than the survivor.
She expressed concern over the culture of silence surrounding sexual violence, observing that fear of stigma, family reputation and public opinion often discouraged victims and their relatives from reporting abuse or seeking help.
Sharing an experience involving two girls who were raped while returning home, the Vice-Chancellor lamented that their mother was unwilling to speak out, possibly because of the stigma associated with the incident.
She maintained that survivors of sexual violence required protection, medical attention, psychological support and access to justice rather than blame or humiliation.
The UNIMED helmswoman also highlighted the importance of consent, integrity and fairness in addressing allegations of sexual misconduct. She explained that consent must be freely given and could be withdrawn at any time, stressing that being in a relationship or visiting someone’s residence did not automatically imply consent.
She, however, called for all allegations of sexual violence to be treated seriously and investigated impartially, without dismissing complainants or prejudging the facts.
Speaking on efforts to promote a safe learning environment at UNIMED, Adejuyigbe highlighted the university’s “SPEAK UP UNIMED initiative”, which provides safe and confidential channels for reporting sexual harassment, bullying, victimisation, sex-for-grades and other unethical practices.
The initiative, built around the commitment, “We Listen. We Protect. We Act,” reflects the university’s resolve to ensure that students can report misconduct without fear of retaliation and receive appropriate support.
She called on other tertiary institutions to adopt similar mechanisms, maintaining that no university could claim to be a centre of excellence if students were afraid to learn, speak or seek justice.
The Vice-Chancellor further warned against digital threats, including cyberbullying, online stalking, sexual extortion and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. She advised students to protect their personal information, preserve evidence of digital harassment where safe and seek help through appropriate channels.
She also urged female students to support one another, discourage victim-blaming and demonstrate compassion towards colleagues who report abuse.
Adejuyigbe stressed that the responsibility for preventing violence against women did not rest on women alone, calling on male students to demonstrate respect and integrity, university authorities to strengthen security and reporting systems, parents to raise children with respect for others, and government and security agencies to ensure effective protection and access to justice.
Speaking from her perspective as a medical professional, she described violence against women as a public health concern whose consequences could include physical injuries, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and reproductive health complications.
She called for accessible healthcare, psychological support and compassionate treatment for survivors, warning against responses that could compound the trauma experienced by victims.
The Vice-Chancellor challenged participants to value themselves, acquire practical safety skills, speak up against injustice, support other women and pursue their aspirations without allowing fear or intimidation to limit their potential.
She also urged NFSAN to sustain the initiative through practical self-defence training, mentorship, peer support, campus advocacy and collaboration with university authorities and relevant agencies.
Earlier, the Chairperson and convener of the programme, Miss Ikuenomore Precious, said the initiative was conceived to move beyond sensitisation and equip female students with practical self-defence techniques, situational awareness and the confidence to respond appropriately to potentially dangerous situations. She explained that the training was organised in phases across Ondo State’s three senatorial districts to extend its benefits to students from different tertiary institutions. Precious called for sustained support from government agencies, institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen the programme and promote safer learning environments for female students.
Adejuyigbe concluded by urging stakeholders to transform the initiative into a sustained movement for safer campuses, accountability and the empowerment of women and girls.
She said the ultimate goal should be a society where female students could attend lectures without fear of harassment, pursue academic excellence without sexual intimidation and report abuse without fear of victimisation.