ORANGE THE WORLD – Flag Raising Action

On November 25 at 1.30 p.m., BOKU representatives gathered in front of the Wilhelm Exner Building to set an example against gender-based violence.

Together they raised an orange flag that will fly at BOKU until December 10 - together with thousands of other orange flags worldwide.

A cooperation of the Coordination Office for Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and UN Women Austria

Please find a photo gallery of the flag campaign 2023 and 2024 here

Call for Action – Towards a Safe and Respectful University Culture for All

The authors of the call agree that gender-based violence is a "social, institutional, political, pedagogical, academic and ethical problem". It reflects situations, dynamics and processes at the university within a comprehensive power structure. BOKU is a signatory to the Call for Action to End Gender-Based Violence and thus expresses that sexual harassment and gender-based violence in the form of bullying, bossing, staffing, etc. have no place and must be specifically ended. It is about creating safe spaces for everyone.

BOKU signed the Call for Action to End Gender-Based Violence

Sujet UniSAFE - ending Gender-Based Violence

UniSAFE – Ending Gender-Based Violence

UniSAFE study (2022) shows results and figures on gender-based violence in the European higher education area.

Overall, results show that 62% of the survey respondents have experienced at least one form of gender-based violence since they started working or studying at their institution.

Moreover, respondents who identify as LGBQ+ (68%), who reported a disability or chronic illness (72%), and those belonging to an ethnic minority group (69%) were more likely to have experienced at least one incident of gender-based violence, compared to those who do not identify with these characteristics.

Psychological violence is reported as the most prevalent form of violence (57%). Moreover, almost one in three students and staff say they have experienced sexual harassment within their institution(31%), whereas 6% of respondents have experienced physical violence, and 3% sexual violence. One in ten respondents reported that their work or studies have been harmed by economic violence.

Among respondents who had experienced gender-based violence, only 13% reported it.

Detailed results can be found under the following link: https://unisafe-gbv.eu/project-news/results-from-the-largest-european-survey-on-gender-based-violence-in-academia/ 

u:respect – Prevention campaign against sexual harassment, discrimination and abuse of power

u:respect is a campaign to prevent gender-based violence and sexual harassment.
The University of Vienna provides informational material such as guidelines, checklists and videos on how to prevent and deal with sexual harassment. The campaign is aimed at different target groups at universities: affected, witnesses, executives and teaching staff.

More information on the campaign and informational material can be found under the following link: https://urespect.univie.ac.at/en/ 

  • Buchcover "Grauzonen gibt es nicht. Muster sexueller Belästigung mit dem Red Flag System erkennen", Sara Hassan, Julia Sanchez-Lambert"

It's not that Grey

Universities are part of social developments. They interact with other areas of society. Gender-based violence and sexualized discrimination are visible in social structures as an expression of power and structural dominance (see Call for Action 2022).

While harassment is perceived differently by each individual, the actions of people who use violence are systematic and follow a certain pattern (see Hassan/Sanchez-Lambert 2020, p.21ff). Accordingly, it is also important to recognize that one's own discomfort in a harassment situation is not an isolated case, but a structural matter (ibid.).

The Red Flag System

In the publication "It's not that Grey (2020), Sara Hassan and Juliette Sanchez-Lambert deal with the question of the alarm systems that we can use to detect sexual harassment and sexualized discrimination and violence at an early stage. It shows ways in which we can counter the abuse of power and defend ourselves against it. For more information see: https://periodbrussels.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Its-not-that-Grey_Period_Guide_2019_online.pdf

(Lizenz CC BY-SA 4.0).

With the Red Flag System, it is possible to set up your own warning system, to recognize sexual harassment and sexualized discrimination and violence and thus learn to protect yourself (see Hassan/Sanchez-Lambert 2020).

The Red Flag System empowers people affected by violence to

  • develop an understanding of the context and thus to know environmental factors and to move and orient themselves safely within it. For example, dependency and power relations can be recognized and the effectiveness of hierarchical levels in an organization can be taken into account for one's own situation.

  • be aware of different strategies used by people who use violence and to recognize them in relation to the situation.

  • consciously get to know and recognize your own limits.

  • draw a clear line in cross-border situations.

  • work on a common (university) culture and a common attitude in which violence and violent assaults have no place or are met with clear consequences.

Intersectionality finds city

A panel of experts discussed safe, non-violent and inclusive cities and spaces at the Safer Cities - Safer Public Spaces in Austria event on November 27 as part of the BOKU Awareness Days.

Please find further information at the following link, see: https://short.boku.ac.at/safercities