• Fassade Wilhelm-Exner-Haus mit gehisster Orange The World-Fahne

ORANGE THE WORLD – Flag Raising Action

On November 22 at 1 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 here

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

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

  • 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.