Dialogue about sexual violence during action week at TU Delft

To further stimulate dialogue at TU Delft about sexual violence, TU Delft student and Amnesty activist Fenna Timsi (Applied Sciences) and other volunteers are organising the #Let’sTalkAboutYES action week at TU Delft from 20 to 24 September.

“By holding different activities like a workshop, jam session, reading, podcast and a documentary evening, we want to take a positive approach in raising awareness about sex and consent among students,” explains Timsi.

Better help for victims
And this is needed. One out of 10 women and 1% of men are raped during their study period, shows Amnesty International research. Sixty-seven percent then suffer psychological, sexual, physical or social problems, and students often do not know how to get help from their academic institution after suffering sexual violence and do not know how to submit a complaint.

‘Any help is badly needed’

These figures led to Amnesty calling on all universities and universities of applied sciences last month to sign a manifesto (in Dutch) in which they promise their students greater protection. The human rights organisation believes that the Manifesto should help prevent incidents and provide better help to victims.

However, TU Delft did not sign the Manifesto. “It contains issues that we do not want, for example a workshop for all students,” Vice Rector Rob Mudde said at the time. “It is not practical and is completely ineffective. We cannot force students to take part.”

“A real shame,” says Timsi. “An educational institution is in a good position to make a meaningful contribution and help students change things themselves.” She hopes that TU Delft will quickly see how serious the situation is and sign the Manifesto. “Any help is badly needed. Only by working together will anything really change.”

#Let’sTalkAboutYES

• Monday 20 September
  Workshop FairSpace
  Online via Zoom, 12:30-13:30
  During this workshop learn skills that will help create a safe environment for everyone.
  Sign up using this link.
   
• Tuesday 21 September
  Lunch reading by sexologist Nynke Nijman
  TU Delft Aula, 12:45 – 13:30
  Sign up using this link.
   
• Wednesday 22 September
  Outdoor cinema
  Bar/Baar (Sint Agathaplein 4), 19:30
  Sign up using this link.
   
• Friday 24 September
  Jam session
  Virgiel (Oude Delft 57), 17:00
  Sign up using this link.

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