Recommended Procedures and Policies for Protection against Sexualized Discrimination and Violence
Policies for Protection against Sexualized Discrimination and Violence
Sexualised discrimination and violence will not be tolerated at the University of Bonn! For this reason, the Policies for Protection against Sexualized Discrimination and Violence were published on March 2, 2023. This guideline describes standards of conduct, procedures and reactions in dealing with sexualised discrimination and violence at the University of Bonn.
If you have experienced sexualized discrimination or violence...
Draw attention to yourself and your situation
Make yourself and your situation known and seek advice from a counselling centre as soon as possible, even if the case appears to be minor.
Trust your perceptions and take your boundaries seriously
If possible, make it clear to the person that they are overstepping your boundaries and that their comments or actions are unwelcome.
Document the incident(s) and write down the contact information of possible witnesses
It can be difficult to prove incidents of sexualized discrimination or violence, particularly if it’s your statement against the other person’s. You should therefore, if possible, record in writing the date, time, place and type of the incident, as well as any measures you may have taken already to defend yourself. Save all harassing emails or text messages.
Don’t keep it to yourself!
Talk to people you trust and get in touch with your employer or the relevant contact person at the University. They will treat your case confidentially and support you in taking further steps and seeking further conversations.
Report incidents
We encourage you to report incidents of sexualized discrimination. You can make an official complaint to the Anti-Discrimination Office. It is also possible to make an anonymous complaint via the University of Bonn's Internal Reporting Office.
If you witness somone being harassed or hurt...
If you have witnessed sexualised discrimination and/or violence, you have several options to support those affected.
Take action
If possible, and if you are not in immediate danger, intervene or offer direct help to the person concerned. Offer to be a witness. Make a memory log.
Take the person concerned seriously
If you observe or are told about an incident, take the report seriously and do not question it.
Treat what has been described as confidential
Treat the events described by the person concerned in the strictest confidence and do not take any further action without the explicit consent of the person concerned.
Talk to those affected and alert them to the available contact persons and counseling options.
If possible, offer your support.
How can the the Gender Equality Office support you?
The Central Gender Equality Commissioner (and Deputy) is one of the possible contacts. As part of the counselling
- incidents and experiences can be categorised,
- information can be provided on procedures and confidentiality at the University of Bonn,
- further steps can be discussed together,
- further (external) counselling options can be identified,
- establish contact with a trained psychological psychotherapist.
The counselling service is confidential and available in German and English.
Further materials
Contact
If required, you can make an appointment for counselling by telephone or e-mail. Counselling can take place in person at the Gender Equality Office, by telephone or via Zoom.
Gabriele Alonso Rodriguez M.A.
Felicitas Frigge M.A.