The perceived sexual relations between students and lecturers in Makerere University: Power, context, and dilemmas

Abstract

The media has been awash with news of claims about sexual relationships between students and lecturers at Makerere University, which often is termed as sexual harassment. Such news often received mixed reactions from the university administration. While sometimes the administration would ultimately deny the allegations, in some situations it would respond by putting in place committees to investigate the claims. Although these relationships seem inevitable, they are highly sensitive, taboo, and uncomfortable to talk about even when they occur within legal boundaries. Against this background, therefore, the study sought to examine the context in which sexual relationships involving lecturers and students take place, power dynamics involved and the associated dilemmas. A cross-sectional case study design that utilised qualitative approach was adopted. A total of 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with third-year students who had been or were still involved in a sexual relationship with a lecturer and those who were approached by a lecturer for a sexual association. I also conducted eight (08) in-depth interviews with lecturers. Five Key informant interviews with student leaders at various administrative levels were also conducted. In addition, four focus group discussions were conducted with both male and female students. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data where key concepts, ideas, and themes were identified and coded, and patterns in the data categorised. Discussions with study participants show that sexual relations between students and lecturers often begin at two levels: consensual and non-consensual sexual relations. Consensual sexual relations are often initiated by either students or lecturers themselves during lecture rooms, internship placements, and offices and are often based on mutual attraction or need for money and sometimes love. Results also show however that even sexual relationships between students and staff that begin as something consensual often evolve into relationships involving the exchange of sexual favors and other forms of intimacy for marks, money, and other favours. Where relationships were initiated by students, lecturers could easily turn them down if they were not interested. In both situations, consensual and non-consensual, sexual relationships become a power negotiation tool and often constituted a dilemma for those who would want to exit. In cases where relationships were initially consensual, power was often at play as students often had to negotiate the challenges involved in turning down the lecturer. For those that start as outright coercion, some students eventually gave in, making the relationships appear consensual even when they were not. Relationships that evolved in exchange for sexual favours in form of marks, the recommendation for internship placement or jobs money, and other favours are not considered abusive by students perse until the agreed or implied conditions are not met, or when they become public and maybe when the sexual overture was made by a student. Sexual relations between students and lecturers remain a controversial issue that attracts debate on its legality, considering their enormous repercussions for both the institution and the parties involved. As the study findings show, sexual relationships between students and lecturers are inherently intricate and risky laced with power dynamics. While the university administration is eager to enact rules and regulations and policies to curtail these relations, it appears, from the results, that this approach will do little to address the challenge that often, to the parties involved, and does not start as a challenge. It is important to understand the boundaries of what constitutes harmful sexual relations and distinguish them from non-harmful sexual relations.