Professor at Helwan University to be investigated for sexual harassment

A professor at Helwan University’s Faculty of Fine Arts was referred to investigation last week following a campaign by students accusing him of sexual harassment, according to a statement by the faculty’s student union.

Students in the graphics department submitted an official complaint against animation professor G.M, accusing him of physical and verbal sexual harassment, both on campus and online.

The campaign published screenshots of alleged Facebook conversations between the professor and female students, in which he expresses his feelings for them.  

A number of students who reported harassment from the professor refused to speak to Mada Masr for fear of revealing their identities and jeopardizing their academic futures.

The professor has a long history of sexual harassment, a member of the campaign told Mada Masr, asserting that several complaints were previously made about his conduct.

“Every year students would complain and he would withdraw from teaching the course and apologize, only to resume activities the following year. This is the first time he has been referred to investigation, because we escalated the issue on social media,” the campaign member said, explaining that he deleted the first online campaign and created another with a fake account, due to the threat of investigation from the dean against anyone who “harms the image and reputation of the faculty.”

“We are waiting for the results of the interrogation. We want this professor suspended from the university, not just an apology or temporary withdrawal from teaching,” the student added.

Faculty Dean Safia al-Kabany deemed the student campaign “irresponsible and insulting,” according to the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper. “It is unbelievable how students are insulting their professors. There are laws that govern us, not the laws of the jungle, where survival is for the fittest and those with the loudest voices,” she said, adding that such allegations have a huge impact on professors.

Kabany described the student campaign as a “conspiracy,” urging them to “paint, read and go to cinema and theatre,” instead of making such claims.

Sexual harassment is an endemic practice in Egypt, affecting more than 95 percent of women, according to a 2014 study by anti-harassment initiative Harassmap.

While many women have been more outspoken about street harassment and assault in recent years, thanks to the work of awareness groups, harassment in workplaces and universities is still largely unreported, due to the power and authority of harassers in this domain.

This is not the first incident in which female students have reported sexual harassment by their professors. A Cairo University professor in the Faculty of Economics and Political Science was referred to investigation in December 2014 based on similar allegations. The matter only progressed to investigation when students made it public on social media.

Cairo University President Gaber Nassar said in earlier press remarks that at least four faculty members have been suspended this term due to sexual harassment claims.

Egyptian universities have no clear strategies for combating sexual harassment on campus, especially by professors, activist and campaigner Fathy Farid explained to Mada Masr. “Faculty members usually enjoy unprecedented power over students, which makes it very risky for students to report sexual harassment. The reports we hear are just the tip of the iceberg, with most incidents unreported,” he said.

In November 2016, Harassmap worked with Cairo University to launch a strategy to combat campus-based sexual harassment. However, the organization emphasizes this is not the norm, calling on all universities to implement effective strategies to deal with sexual harassment and violence on campuses.

An amendment to the Penal Code in 2014 criminalized sexual harassment, imposing penalties from six months to five years in prison for harassers. But in a statement last year, several rights groups asserted this is not enough, criticizing an atmosphere of state impunity that fuels harassment and sexual violence.

Professors accused of harassment are often referred to internal investigation committees, Farid explains, adding that most initiatives to tackle the problem on campuses are not implemented.

Despite this, the member of the campaign at Helwan University is optimistic. “We will protest if he is not suspended. Our female colleagues were asked [by the administration] to let it go, but we won’t just let it go.”