2023-04-16 14:15:25
The coordinator of the Bloco de Esquerda (BE), Catarina Martins, considered this Sunday, in Porto, that it is very difficult to report harassment in the Portuguese academic environment “within the hierarchical structures”, defending an independent structure to deal with these cases.
“We really think that entities independent of faculties or research centers are needed, because in fact it is very difficult, as can be seen and perceived, to make complaints within their own hierarchical structures, even when they create some commissions”, he said today. Catarina Martins, in Porto.
Speaking at the press conference for the presentation of the Desobedoc festival, at Cinema Trindade, the BE coordinator said that the party is “working on a proposal so that there is a mechanism that does not depend on each faculty or each research centre, a mechanism that it can be safe to make the complaint, and that can draw consequences from the complaints that are made”.
This week, accusations of sexual harassment made by three former researchers at the Center for Social Studies (CES) at the University of Coimbra (UC) against two professors – Boaventura de Sousa Santos and Bruno Sena Martins, who have since been suspended – were made public. accusations.
However, Brazilian state deputy Bella Gonçalves also claimed that she was sexually harassed by Boaventura de Sousa Santos, and the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (Clacso) and the Spanish newspaper Publico suspended collaborations with the sociologist.
“Of course, it’s a good thing that the Center for Social Studies suspended Boaventura de Sousa Santos, it’s a good thing that there will be a commission, but that’s not enough”, said Catarina Martins today.
The head of BE considers that “there is clearly a structural and transversal problem” in the academy, since “this is not the first time that a problem has appeared”.
“I would say that it is not just the academy that has problems, in the academy there will also be women who know how to make themselves heard and, fortunately, they are starting to make themselves heard”, he also pointed out.
Catarina Martins also disagreed with the Minister of Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato, who said, on Saturday, that institutions can autonomously resolve cases related to alleged moral and sexual harassment, and ruled out creating a national structure yet, despite seeing it as “beneficial” ”.
On Thursday, the National Union of Higher Education (SNESup) criticized the existence of reporting channels managed internally by the institutions, defending, as an alternative, a national portal that guarantees the anonymity of the alleged victims and who is accused.
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