Paper short abstract:

In this paper, we reflect on gender based violence as part of the range of academic violences. Specifically, we reflect on the official mechanisms used to eradicate sexual violence at University of Granada and explore the impact of these mechanisms among the academic community.

Paper long abstract:

​​The Organic Law 3/2007, for the effective equality between women and men, forces Spanish Universities to design and execute Equality Plans in order to guarantee gender equality (Soto, 2019). However, these plans have not avoided the perpetuation of inequality, harassment and sexual and gender violence experiences. These violences are often hard to identify due to the nondiscriminatory nature that has been socially assigned to the public university (Ballarín, 2015). Furthermore, the neoliberal influence that introduces the values of individualism and the "myth" of meritocracy exacerbate the invisibility of gender violence and inequality, and also racial and class discrimination (Falcón & Philipose, 2017, p. 186).

In this communication, we reflect on the following questions: What are the official mechanisms used to eradicate this kind of violence at the University of Granada? Are these mechanisms against sexual violence an extension of the burocatric control over the people affected by this violence? Are these mechanisms articulated with the criminal competences and with the student and feminist movements when addressing sexual violence? Are there any alternative responses to this violence among the students?

The goal of our communication is to analyze academic violence and its effects on the field of gender violence, as well as the strategies implemented by groups and individuals affected by such violences. This is part of a larger research project called "Gender violence in a context of change: challenges for an analysis from a gender perspective" (B-SEJ-220-UGR20, financed by the Government of Andalusia, FEDER program 2014-2020, Spain).