 Now, as teachers, as students, as university administration, as policy makers, we are all in one capacity or the other, let us say affiliated with higher educational institutions. Higher Education Commission of Pakistan which came into being under Higher Education Commission ordinance in year 2002 and is binding on all higher education institutions in the country, whether operating in the public or the private sector, formulated a policy on sexual harassment in higher education institution. Violations are failure to comply with Higher Education Commission, which I will now refer to as HEC, so any violation or failure to comply with HEC's policies may lead to regulatory action being taken against non-compliant HEIs or universities. This policy introduced by HEC is consistent with and has been made in light of the provisions of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 and amended then in 2022. It extends the protection against sexual harassment to all members of the HEI community and provides the option to the aggrieved persons to seek recourse to resources within the HEI or to seek redressal through the provisions of the 2010 Act. Under this policy given by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, sexual harassment is defined or it means any unwelcome sexual advance, request for a sexual favour or other verbal or written communication or physical conduct of a sexual nature or a sexually demeaning attitude, where number one, submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual participation in an activity at the university or a higher education institution. Further, submission to a rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for academic or employment decision affecting that individual. In simpler terms, this means that, let us say, if somebody is conducting sexual harassment and as a result of which the aggrieved is, let us say, denied a certain promotion or is denied their academic merit, then they are indeed aggrieved. Further, under this act, such conduct has the purpose or effect of unnecessarily interfering with an individual's academic or work performance or of creating an intimidating hostile or offensive educational or working environment. Now, the behaviours which are prohibited under this policy given out by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, now it includes number one, especially agrigious non-consensual acts. This may include, let us say, an extreme act like rape or an attack under which of course a person has a right to either complain within the HEI or to take up legal action as laid down by the law prevailing in the country. Further, a prohibited behaviour can include non-consensual sexual contact. It can include sexual exploitation. Now, these two terms actually mean that, let us say, it could include sending or sharing of photographs or videos which are of an inappropriate nature. It could include things like, let us say, something which is not an outright sexual assault but minor, let us say, sexual advances. Further prohibited behaviours include other pervasive or swear behaviours such as sharing of vulgar jokes, whether it is through mobile phones, whether it is through social media, whether it is physically in a meeting or in an environment. So all those things actually constitute prohibited behaviour under this particular policy. And lastly, what it includes is sex discrimination, that is, being denied your academic merit or being denied chances of employment just on the basis of one's sex. Now, what are higher education institutions or universities bound to do under this policy? The HEIs shall designate at least two members of the HEI administration who will act as focal persons for harassment. Now, at least one of those two designated administrative officers who will act as focal persons, one of them shall be a woman to offer support and immediate assistance to those who have experienced sexual harassment. Contact information of such individuals shall be made easily available, including its display on the higher education institution or university's website. The HEI shall also constitute an inquiry committee to investigate and adjudicate any allegations of prohibited conduct. Now, those who have experienced sexual harassment may also contact members of the inquiry committee for support and advice. Now, the HEIs or universities will also make the procedure of filing a complaint very transparent and obvious to all the people involved with the higher education institution environment. Any person who has experienced sexual harassment can lodge a complaint either to the focal person or to any member of Sexual Harassment Inquiry Committee or again inconsistent with the provision of the 2010 Harassment Act, a person can file a complaint to the Ombuds person. As soon as a complaint or report is received by one of the designated resources, it shall be shared by him or her within a period of 24 hours with all focal persons and members of the inquiry committee for further action. All complaints alleging sexual harassment shall be forwarded to the inquiry committee within 24 hours of being received by the focal person or any other office of the university or HEI. As soon as it is reasonably practicable after receiving such a complaint, the inquiry committee shall determine whether the alleged conduct in the complaint meets the criteria of this policy. It is determined by a majority of the members of the inquiry committee that the alleged conduct meets the aforementioned criteria. Then a formal investigation shall be initiated. After initiating the investigation and not later than three days of the receipt of a written complaint, the inquiry committee shall firstly communicate to the accused, the charges and statement of allegation level against him or her. The formal written receipt of which will be given by the accused. Further, the committee will require the accused within seven days from the day the charges communicated to him or her to submit a written defense and on his or her failure to do so without reasonable cause, the committee shall proceed to export it. Then the committee will inquire into the charge and may acquire and examine such oral or documentary evidence in support of the charge or in defense of the accused as the committee may consider necessary, including by summoning a potential witness and each party shall be entitled to cross-examine the witness against him or her. Further the inquiry is completed, there may be different kinds of penalties may be imposed. Now if a respondent is a student, the committee may issue a warning or a reprimand or it may issue a disciplinary probation or it may withhold a degree for a certain period of time or it may recommend suspension or expulsion or it may recommend or impose campus service or it may suggest or impose relocation from campus building or it could include exclusion of the respondent from a designated portion of the university or HCI building or grounds or it could include inclusion of decision in the student's record except in the case of the first instance of a minor violation for up to seven years. Now if the respondent is a member of the faculty, a researcher or an employee or a staff of the university, the committee may give an oral or a written reprimand or warning, it may carry out counselling or training, it may include the decision in the personal file of the respondent or it may lead to an exclusion of the respondent from a designated portion of the university building or ground or from one or more designated university activities where such penalty is appropriate to the offence and where the penalty does not prevent the respondent from carrying out his professional duty. The committee may impose a fine, the committee may recommend for suspension of the respondent without pay, the committee may recommend that dismissal proceedings be commenced or you know it the committee may sanction as deemed appropriate in accordance with the terms of the employment rules, other penalties. Now once you know let's say certain penalties have been let's say you know imposed universities and in particular universities in general and in particular virtual university aims to create a safe working environment that is free of harassment, abuse and intimidation to fulfil individuals right to work with dignity. So you know before anyone wants to lodge a complaint, the complainant must make himself or herself understand the definition or you know they must understand what harassment means and only then should they file a complaint. Now once the complaint, once you know an individual feels that filing such a complaint is necessary, the complaint may contain comprehensive statement of all facts with all necessary details relating to an incident of harassment at the workplace. The complaint may contain all documents, evidence or other supporting material in whatever form it may be such as audio, video or documentary or in any other form. The complaint may contain name of witnesses. The complaint may contain any other material, detail, evidence or person which will be relied upon or have any relation with the incident. Further the complainant shall undertake that information contained on his or her complaint is true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief because while it is important you know that if you have been victim of harassment you report it so that nobody else becomes a victim of that harassment or that you do get your due justice but it is also very important to ensure that nobody is falsely accused of harassment or one does not file a complaint which is not completely 100% true. The complaint shall be duly signed by the complainant or if he or she cannot sign shall fix his or her thumb impression on it. Now if an individual whether that is a student or is a faculty member, staff or employee associated with the university or a higher education institution deems that it is necessary to file a complaint they need to make sure that the complaint contains comprehensive statement of all facts with all necessary details relating to an incident of harassment at the workplace. The complaint may contain all documents, evidence or other supporting material in whatever form it may be such as audio, video or documentary or any other form. The complaint may contain names of witnesses further the complaint may also contain any other material, detail, evidence or person which will be relied upon or have any relation with the incident. The complainant shall undertake that information contained in his or her complaint is true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief. Now why this is most important is because while on the one hand it is important to report sexual harassment or any other harassment to number one in order to get justice and number two in order to ensure that nobody else goes through what the complainant has gone through it is also important to make sure that a false complaint is not filed because a false complaint or an allegation can also very swearly or badly harm the accused. Therefore it is necessary for the complainant to ensure that all the facts all the statements given in his complaint are completely 100% true. The complainant shall therefore duly sign the complaint or if you or she cannot sign they will fix their thumb impression on it. With this in this module we have you know shared with you the detailed procedure of filing a complaint in case in the capacity of being a student or a faculty member or a staff member you are subject to any kind of harassment at workplace or any kind of harassment around the higher educational institution. And we also shared with you this policy which is also freely available on higher education commission's website where it explicitly says that what constitute as harassment and a sexual harassment and in case God forbid you have been a victim of it what procedure you may follow. The universities and HCI's have by through implementing HCI's policy in general established a system for addressing such complaint and virtual university in its capacity is also doing a lot to provide an inclusive and a safe environment for students, teachers, staff and all employees.