Women battle against 'sex for grades' at universities

During her first few days at the University of Liberia, fourth-year sociology student Famata Adrekis was asked by a male student if she was taking the ‘Sex 101’ class, a reference to the expectation that female students will have sex with their male lecturers to get good grades or pass courses, writes Liz Ford for the Guardian. The practice is often referred to as ‘transactional sex’ – sex for grades – and it's common throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

A 2011 survey conducted by ActionAid in three Liberian universities found that about 85% of female students had been sexually harassed or involved in transactional sex while they studied. Some women said they were forced to keep repeating classes if they refused to have sex with their male lecturers. If a woman reported her lecturer and he was sacked, the teacher would often simply move to another institution, the survey revealed.

Adrekis is now involved in setting up a women's forum at her university. The forum will provide a safe space to report incidents, find support and lobby the university's student affairs office to take action against perpetrators. The forum will also seek to educate men about a woman's right not to be harassed.
Full report on the Guardian site