Conversation about the Safe Universities course

On March 31, the Academic Vice-Rector's Office and the Department of Equality and Gender of the University of Azuay organized a semi-face-to-face discussion to analyze the feedback from the Safe Universities course.

The purpose of the discussion was to share the impressions of what the process of creating the course and its development meant, in which the university community participated.

In 2018, the University of Azuay opened the Department of Equality and Gender and together with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), a diagnosis was made within the university campus to know the perception of students, teachers and administrative personnel on violence against women. gender, especially violence against women.

After the diagnosis, the need to create a training course for the entire university community became evident and GIZ was in charge of providing the necessary materials for the development of the course.

To emphasize the great effort the University has made to ensure a safe space on campus and help change culture, Vice Chancellor Martha Cobos quoted Nelson Mandela in her report from the Pan American Health Organization to the World Health Organization. Health in 2002:

“To our children, the most vulnerable citizens of any society, we owe a life without fear or violence. To guarantee it, we must be tireless in our efforts to achieve peace, justice and prosperity not only for countries, but also for communities and members of the same family ”.

For her part, the teacher Gabriela Eljuri congratulated the University's effort to make social problems evident and for implementing a series of protocols to protect and support those who are eventually victims of gender violence.

In turn, he proposed the possibility of implementing this course within the Gender unit in the field of Anthropology (compulsory for students of all careers), so that all students can access the information and feel that the university really is a safe space.

One aspect that is addressed within the course are stereotypes and the teacher Juan Córdova highlighted the importance of cutting that social heritage that there are careers or professions that are only for men or women.

Córdova raised the example of a course within the engineering career in which there is only one woman out of 34 students, as well as the case of the Faculty of Philosophy in which around 75% of the students are women.

The discussion concluded by emphasizing the importance of being able to address these types of issues within the university campus in order to create and promote safe and empathetic spaces in which the necessary help can be provided to minorities or vulnerable groups.

In addition, it was clarified that the university embraces and supports diversity and thinks of academia as a space that has the ability to change society if it works together to promote growth and development.

If you have been a victim of violence, discrimination or want more information about the course, you can contact the Department of Equality and Gender by mail: dep.genero@uazuay.edu.ec

UDA Correspondent