Parliament debates sexual harassment in schools

MPs are debating sexual harassment in schools in the House of Commons now and the debate will remain available to view here.

Maria Miller MP, Chair of the Women & Equalities Committee, which ran an extensive and authoritative inquiry into sexual harassment and assaults in schools, opened the debate and commented in advance here.

The EVAW Coalition has appealed to the Government to act urgently in response to what is known about the epidemic of harassment and assaults on girls in schools by:

1. Ensuring that when compulsory Relationships and Sex Education becomes a reality in schools (from September 2019) it enables young people to learn and have conversations about gender and other inequalities, and that there are resources available to help train teachers and help schools get up to speed
2. Urgently issuing guidance to schools on what they must do in response to sexual harassment and assaults committed by pupils, because the lack of current policy and practice is unlawful as found by an EVAW Coalition legal briefing