#MeToo at Symbiosis : Speaking truth to power prevails!

Two students, who reported a professor at their institution for sexual harassment, faced college suspensions labelled as ‘disciplinary action, and further, was taking no action against the professor. This signalled the negligence of the administration towards such a serious matter.

Jhatkaa.org swiftly launched a campaign urging the university to take these allegations solemnly and reinstate the students. This campaign utilised a multifaceted approach, including Twitter Storms, a viral comic, media coverage, phone calls, and formal letters to relevant statutory bodies specialising in women’s development and higher education.

These bodies acknowledged the issue and advocated for the students’ reinstatement. Our efforts paid off as the students were reinstated without losing their academic year, and the accused professor was terminated following an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) investigation. Subsequently, this campaign led us to develop a campus safety toolkit and conduct workshops on fostering safe campus environments within higher education institutions. This evolving project went on to be named project Kadam, and can be viewed here.