Silent Campuses: The Abuse Of Academic Power In Ethiopian Higher Education
Students in Ethiopian universities are speaking out against systemic sexual harassment and academic extortion by lecturers. The reports detail coercive practices, such as 'sex-for-grades' demands, which remain largely unaddressed by institutional authorities.
Why it matters
This exposes a critical failure in academic governance and human rights protections within higher education systems, impacting student safety and educational integrity.
Saron Bekele (name changed upon request for safety) was a student at Addis Ababa University when she faced an encounter that altered her academic life. She is among numerous university students across the country who have stepped forward to share harrowing experiences of sexual harassment, extortion, and ‘sex-for-grades’ demands imposed by their own lecturers and department heads.
“When one of my lecturers summoned me to his office one day, I believed I was walking into a routine discussion about my academic performance,” Saron recalled. Instead, she found herself inside a dimly lit office where her lecturer chose to communicate solely through handwritten notes—messages he displayed to her before immediately tearing them to pieces.
Saron had been summoned under the premise of resolving a grade dispute. Shortly after she entered, the lecturer locked the door behind her.
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