SI-CRITICAL PROBLEMS, OPPORTUNITIES AND GOOD PRACTICES TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AGAINST STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

EC2023SIN377A101 01/09/2023 - 31/08/2025 This proposal is presented by KU Leuven at Flemish level, and Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar – Ecuador (UASB-E). It will contribute to the SDGs 5 (gender equality) and 4 (quality education) to enhance national policies of eradication, prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV) in Ecuador, particularly at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The project will be developed in 4 regions of Ecuador at 5 of the most important HEIs in terms of size, diversity and representativeness (public and private, urban and rural, regionally, graduate and postgraduate). The first component of the project is a participatory research and diagnosis of critical problems, opportunities and good practices for the prevention and response to gender-based violence against university students in HEIs that belong to the Ecuadorian Interuniversity Network for research on sexual harassment and gender-based violence (REDIFEM). The second component proposes an innovative blended training process aiming at strengthening the institutional capacities of HEIs to face these challenges. The third component constitutes the evaluation and dissemination of the results to design a participatory long-term plan for the HEIs involved, also applicable to other Ecuadorian HEIs through the Secretary of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (SENESCYT) and the Higher Education Council (CES). All the activities will be developed in a participatory, critical and intersectional approach to apply the LNOB principle. The project is committed to the respect of human, social and nature rights, intersectional justice and equity, and to the direct participation of the social groups involved in local, regional and national contexts. Prior, free and informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality principles will be fully guaranteed. The proposal has the support of an important set of stakeholders, such as civil society organisations, student unions, NGOs, State and academia.