Understanding Masculinity and Sexual Harassment for Sustainable Development

Abstract

It is an important phenomenon to draw a common understanding of sexual harassment in a national and international concept. This applies in particular the determination to reach an agreement around a common concept definition of sexual harassment, irrespective of race, culture, and situation, form of exposure, colour, national context, and so onwards. Bangladesh has a strong legal framework to reduce violence against women; however, the law and reality are different. Women in this society are generally perceived as mothers and wives and not as equal working partners. So, women’s education has a significant impact on family income and development and the males in household activities are also absent and women’s activities are entertaining guests, preparing food, and cooking. The deep-rooted gender inequalities and discrimination makes women helpless also in the higher education level. Sexual harassment in public universities had the highest proportion of women that reported ‘never telling anyone’ about their experience of harassment by friends or teachers. This research would like to find out the ways of breaking masculinity and gender-based violence in the higher educational institution, which is authorized under the relevant disciplinary rules to take action in case of misconduct. This article will also explore the protection mechanism from sexual harassment and how the right to education and work with dignity is recognized as basic human rights in higher education levels.