Sexual Harassment Awareness Day, for a harassment-free, safer and more respectful university environment

The national campaign, initiated by swissuniversities in cooperation with several universities, schools of teacher education, universities of applied sciences as well as various research institutes and organisations close to universities throughout Switzerland, aims to prevent sexual harassment and sexism in the learning or working environment by inviting people to reflect on their own behaviour, to respect the limits of others and to take responsibility for themselves and their neighbours.

Whether it be initiatives at individual universities and/or colleges, or Zoom conferences on specific issues, the prevention programme offers valid starting points that will help create greater awareness and knowledge on the subject. 

USI is participating actively in the national campaign with an awareness-raising stand between 9:30 am and 3 pm on Thursday, 23 March, at West Campus Lugano, in the outdoor area under the cafeteria. Fortune Cookies with messages to raise awareness will be offered. Information stands are also foreseen at the Faculty of Informatics, the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences on the East Campus and at the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio. The entire USI community is invited. 

During the day, the "Equality box" initiative will be reintroduced. The unique letterbox from Monday, 27 March, will be placed at the West campus northern entrance (across the room from the ATM), at the Faculty of Informatics secretariat on the East Campus, and on the Mendrisio campus, inviting people from the USI community to collect any requests for support and to leave thoughts and suggestions on gender, equal opportunities and diversity issues. Please note that the "Equality box" is not a tool to report particularly sensitive cases, which should be sent to the Equal Opportunities Service, [email protected].

Below is the video message from the Rectors of the Swiss universities and universities of applied sciences, featuring Lorenzo Cantoni, USI Deputy Rector, and the awareness video with the participation of Dr Rosalba Morese, scientific collaborator of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, lecturer at the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society for the social psychology course and head of USI in ascolto. 

Find out more about the campaign by contacting the Equal Opportunities Service or visiting the following pages:

• Sexual Harassment Awareness Day
• Programma 23 marzo 2023
• Programma delle scuole universitarie
• USI in ascolto
• Psychological Counselling Service 

In addition to the 'Equality box', USI offers its academic community a number of resources to draw on, inside and outside USI, to seek professional and specialised support:

• USI in ascolto
• USI psychological counselling
• University mediator
• Laboratory of Work Psychopathology of the cantonal socio-psychiatric organisation (OSC), which has been given the mandate to welcome and support those suffering from symptoms (physical or emotional) linked to the socio-occupational situation.