Sexual safety at UM: two years of growth, action and engagement
In recent weeks, the topic of sexual safety has regained widespread attention in our society. Emotions such as sadness, fear, anger, frustration, and uncertainty, demonstrate the urgency of this issue. In the Netherlands, a woman is murdered every eight days, most often by a partner or ex-partner. In addition, women are too often subjected to sexual harassment, violence, domestic violence and street harassment. The cause lies in deep-rooted patterns in our society, making it a shared responsibility of individuals, groups and organisations to take action against this. Although the number of people and institutions committed to this cause is growing, there is still much work to be done. The road is long, but the effort is necessary and valuable. At UM, we contribute to this as well, for example with the Sexual Safety Programme.
Two year anniversary Sexual Safety Programme
In August 2023, Maastricht University officially launched its Sexual Safety Programme. Thanks to the efforts of many students and staff members, this initiative to combat sexual violence quickly became an integral part of our university community. This summer, we mark the programme’s two-year anniversary and to the fifth round of the ‘Are you okay?’ lecture, now a fixed item in the introduction programme for all new UM students.
UM Green Dot: working together towards cultural change
In addition to the lecture, the programme has realised other impactful initiatives such as Green Dot. This is a university-wide, evidence-based programme for bystander intervention. The metaphor of the ‘Green Dot’ makes the topic accessible and offers students and staff a common language and practical tools to recognise and address sexual violence in their surroundings.
In 2024, several UM staff members were certified as Green Dot trainers, and more than 22 workshops were given.
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Progress report: insights into impact and challenges
Programme manager Joyce Grul has compiled the experiences, successes and obstacles of the past two years in a progress report. This report provides insights into the selected approach and the implementation of interventions. In addition, it provides a quantitative overview of the activities carried out and the number of participants reached, as well as the structural challenges in terms of capacity and policy development.
The report was used as a reference for central budget approval and as a means of providing information to the UM community. After all, only by working together can we bring about lasting change.
Joyce Grul is programme manager of the Sexual Safety Programma at UM.
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