Sexual Harassment, Discrimination and Violence (SHDV) are part of a phenomenon that occurs in its various forms in all areas of society. This issue has received more attention in recent years and German universities are also increasingly conducting research on the various forms and contexts in which sexualized forms of violence manifest themselves. However, German universities as places of occurrence generally remain unnoticed. Despite intensive and successful university efforts to promote equality and diversity, the topic of SHDV is often not taken into account, and there are hardly any studies that deal in-depth with the conditions, modes of functioning, and consequences of this phenomenon at universities. Even and especially universities as places of study and work with a hierarchical, dependency-shaped structure are not free from such assaults. At universities, however, such incidents are often negated. They see themselves as places of research, teaching and critical reflection that are largely free of discrimination. That is why it is often difficult to thematize and visualize the problem in a university context. In order to better understand and combat the phenomenon of sexualized violence at the university, it is necessary to examine the specific context of the organization of higher education and its modes of functioning. 

An international comparison in particular reveals that Germany has considerable ground to make up in terms of research on SHDV in higher education contexts. With the aim of researching the issue in depth and catching up with the international state of research, the MvBZ has been focusing on the topic of sexual harassment, discrimination, and violence in the university context since 2019. This focus combines the different areas of work of the MvBZ, and the team is addressing the issue in various projects and activities.

If you have experienced yourself sexualized harassment, discrimination and violence in higher education contexts, or witnessed SBDG in your academic environment, and would like to anonymously share this experience with the team, please follow this link to our platform, where we collect reports from those affected.

Symposium „Unheard, Unseen, and Unspoken: Setting a Research Agenda for Sexual Harassment and Violence in Higher Education”

Organizers: Dr. Heike Pantelmann, Dr. Sarah Bellows-Blakely & Dr. Sabina García Peter (Freie Universität Berlin) & Prof. Dr. Ebere Adimora (University of Nigeria, Nsukka)

This symposium is part of the Theme Week "The (De)tabooing of Science and Research", funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and will be held on September 17–19, 2025 at the Xplanatorium Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover, Germany. The symposium will include cross-over events with three other Volkswagen Foundation-supported events on taboos related to gender and race in science and research.

About the symposium:

The topic of sexual harassment and violence (SHV) within higher education is subject to multiple taboos. First, SHV is often swept under the rug, with those raising the issue treated as troublemakers or driven out of higher education. Second, universities are reluctant to critically investigate themselves and the unequal power relations that allow sexual harassment and violence to flourish. Compounding the problem are social taboos, which partially stem from myths about research institutions and individuals within them. When it does exist, research tends to focus on individual countries and rarely makes connections across national borders. The purpose of this symposium is to bring together an international group of scholars to share research, experiences, and best practices about SHV in higher education. Our goals are to de-taboo the ability to name SHV within higher education, share knowledge, and craft collaborative agendas for research and policy making moving forward.

The symposium will include a combination of interactive workshops and panel discussions, insight sharing, and networking. it will conclude with a collaborative workshop dedicated to developing a shared research agenda on SHV in HE. Together, we will identify key research priorities necessary for advancing the visibility of SHV research and breaking multiple taboos surrounding this critical issue.

The documentation will follow soon here.

Cooperation with the journal Debate Feminista (UNAM, Mexico)

In the context of the main focus on sexual harassment, discrimination and violence, the thematic cooperation between the Open Gender Journal, which is co-published by the MvBZ, and the Mexican journal Debate Feminista has been established. In the joint thematic section "Gender and Sexualized Harassment, Discrimination and Violence in Higher Education Contexts," scientific articles on the topic are published in parallel in both journals. The aim of this cooperation is to create a virtual place for the publication of research papers (in German, English and Spanish) on sexual violence in the context of higher education, to bundle and make visible the production of knowledge on the topic, and to promote the national and international networking of scholars in the thematic field. Click here for the call for papers. Contact: Dr. Sabina García Peter.

Transnational Research Project „Perspectives and Discourses on Sexual Harassment in International Higher Education Contexts”

The transnational research project “Perspectives and Discourses on Sexual Harassment in International Higher Education Contexts” investigates the prevalence, forms and effects of sexualized discrimination and violence at universities as well as structural implications. To this end, the MvBZ cooperates with partner universities from Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Japan, Mexico, Peru and South Korea. In addition to the respective national contexts, the research cooperation aims to include sexualized harassment, discrimination and violence at universities, in particular as a global phenomenon. The concern of the project is also to raise the visibility of the topic at the university. In 2017/18, surveys on this topic were conducted at different partner universities and the results were presented and discussed in regular project meetings and at an international conference at the Freie Universität Berlin in 2018, organized by the MvBZ. A joint publication on the transnational research was released in 2022.

---

→ Publications and Lectures

---

Team

Dr. Heike Pantelmann (heike.pantelmann@fu-berlin.de)

former project staff

Lina Knorr

Tanja Wälty

Inga Nüthen 

Nina Lawrenz

Hannah-Sophie Schüz