Dia/Them unhappy with outcome of proposed Taylor’s Sexual Harassment Policy

Dia/Them: Taylor’s Inclusivity Project (previously known as Taylor’s Girl Up Club) have expressed their disappointment over the outcome of the Sexual Harassment Policy that the club suggested to implement in the university.

Rather than creating a standalone policy, the management had dedicated a section for all matters about sexual harassment in the Student Handbook.

The section on Sexual Harassment in the Student Handbook for Taylor's University and College students.

The said section contains a declaration by the University slash College that it “...does not condone behaviour that inappropriately asserts sexuality…” and a definition of sexual harassment.

According to Dia/Them President Shivakaaminii Ponniah, the definition given does not encompass the full extent of sexual harassment even though valid.

“This definition does not even include online sexual harassment, gender-based violence or the elements of consent,” she said.

Shivakaaminii also pointed out that there were no details on how students should go about reporting sexual harassment on campus, adding that the lack of clarity is concerning for the students who may have been sexually harassed by a lecturer.

“Imagine there is an act of sexual harassment, but there's a power difference because the perpetrator is a lecturer, and the person who complained to is that said lecturer, so how is there going to be justice in that form of power dynamics?” she questioned.

Dia/Them Vice President Hessa Syabirah added that it would also be beneficial to provide training sessions to student leaders of all clubs and societies in the university.

“They are typically interacting with the rest of the student body, so undergoing these mandatory safety trainings can equip them with the knowledge to help fellow students who come forward with their experiences,” she explained.

The Women In Leadership: Dia/Them President Shivakaaminii Ponniah (Right) and Vice President Hessa Syabirah (Left)

Photo Credits: Hessa Syabirah

The Sexual Harassment Policy was first proposed by Dia/Them to Taylor’s University Student Council (TUSC) in 2020 after collaborating with All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) for the ‘I Know U Wannit’ forum.

In the April 2022 Student Representative Welfare Meeting (SRWM), Syabirah requested for an update regarding the policy’s whereabouts.

TUSC Assistant Director of Campus Welfare Teoh Zhi Yi responded that the management could only put it under a miscellaneous (Code of Student Conduct) section of the Student Handbook because passing a policy involved many procedures.

However, Teoh said that should Dia/Them continue to pursue the policy, the council could still bring up the matter in their next meeting with the management.