Women face harassment and violence at Italian universities

Student survey shows gender-based violence is rife

Many students in Italy do not feel safe on campus, according to a survey by a national student union.

The online survey by the UDU union, presented to parliament on 8 March, collected more than 1,500 responses in less than three weeks. Its preliminary results show that 20 per cent of respondents do not consider Italian universities to be safe places, and more than one-third have heard of cases of gender-based harassment or violence on university premises. The perpetrators were often faculty members.