HYDERABAD: Sindh University’s vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Siddique Kalhoro has said the university stands firm in its resolve to provide a secure environment to all students, especially girls, and said dedication and hard work of female professors and students are instrumental in helping the university achieve academic excellence.

He was speaking at a seminar on “Protection against harassment of women at workplace” organised by the university’s Anti-Harassment Cell in collaboration with the Institute of Gender Studies and Institute of Biochemistry on Monday.

The VC pointed out that traditional values of respect for women were deeply ingrained in Sindhi culture and stressed significance of the use of appropriate language and behaviour to establish a professional and respectful atmosphere where terms like ‘friend’ had been replaced with ‘colleague’ to maintain decorum.

Regional head of Federal Ombudsman’s Secretariat for Protection of Women against Harassment, Sabiqa Shah, said that awareness and institutional mechanisms were needed to tackle harassment effectively.

She called for empowering women with knowledge about their rights and avenues for redressal and said awareness was indispensable in combating issues like harassment at workplace.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2024