Involve students in designing rules addressing gender violence

A noted Gender Based Violence (GBV) expert from the US today advocated involving students in designing responses and rules used in addressing such issues on campus.
Denice Labertrew, Director of Advocacy Services, California Coalition Against Sexual Assault said students can and should be be part of such initiatives as "they have unique knowledge about their own experiences and will be part of creating larger societal change."
Addressing students of Shasun Jain College for Women here, Labertrew said: "students can and should be a part of designing responses and rules used in addressing GBV on campus, including how offenders should be held accountable, what services should be made available for victims and what types of programmes can begin to prevent GBV."

Among others strong policies related to offender accountability, campaigns that address myths about GBV and victimisation and programmes that encourage men to "change their thinking about masculinity" should be taken up, she said.
"Students are our future leaders, legislators, teachers, business people, journalists. We can create change in our societies and the world by engaging students in this important work. They can take their ideas and responses outside to society as a whole and we can begin to change the world," she said.