Exploring Sexual Harassment at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences

Abstract

This paper sets out to explore sexual harassment in Malawian Universities by utilizing the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) as a case study. The focus on the university came from a sexual harassment scandal that occurred in 2020 at the university. As such the paper aimed to investigate the policy framework on sexual harassment at the university and the possible reasons behind harassment, and to suggest appropriate strategies for battling harassment. The paper utilizes secondary data that includes MUBAS policies, research reports on sexual harassment in Malawian universities, newspaper articles on the sexual harassment case study, and conversations between the involved parties of the sexual harassment cases. Historical Materialist Analysis Methods and Text analysis methods are employed in data analysis. The results of the analysis reveal sexual harassment occurs due to institutionalized patriarchy that exists through ineffective policies, the existence of social norms that perpetuate female students’ experience of sexual harassment, and poverty among students. Suggested strategies include increased student involvement in policy formulation, promotion of collective feminist consciousness as well as government, and establishment of effective funding methods for poor students.