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Within the framework of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Council of Rectors presented the book "Beyond Law No. 21,369: The leadership of CRUCH universities in addressing gender violence", prepared by the Gender Equality Commission.
Four years after the law's publication, the document shares 27 practical experiences from CRUCH universities in three areas: prevention; investigation, punishment, and reparation; and comprehensive policies. It also outlines the main milestones of the work carried out by the commission on eliminating violence since 2018.
On November 25, the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) released the document «"Beyond Law No. 21,369: The leadership of CRUCH universities in addressing gender violence,", within the framework of the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The publication, the result of collaborative work between the CRUCH Gender Equality Commission and its Gender Violence Eradication Unit, compiles 27 practical experiences from CRUCH universities in three areas: prevention; investigation, punishment, and redress; and comprehensive policies. It also outlines the main milestones of the work carried out prior to the current legislation.
He Emilio Rodríguez, executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Tarapacá, She noted that “as the title of the work announces, the commitment of the universities that make up CRUCH extends beyond Law No. 21,369. The institutional response to this problem was consolidated early on: the network of directors and coordinators of the Gender Directorates and Units was formed at the end of 2017, and the CRUCH Gender Equality Commission was created in May 2018 with the objective of contributing to the development of equality policies and serving as a reference for the mainstreaming of gender and the eradication of violence.”.
Along the same lines, the Rector of the Metropolitan Technological University (UTEM) and head of the Gender Equality Commission, Marisol Durán, She emphasized that «while Law 21.369 marked a milestone, it was not the starting point. Our communities had already been building mechanisms to address sexual harassment and discrimination. This publication shows the progress made and how our institutions have advanced in regulatory compliance, which only makes sense when it translates into higher quality, better care, and greater guarantees of rights for those who study and work in our institutions.”.
The rector of UTEM emphasized that “this publication is a testament to a collective commitment to understanding that gender equality and the eradication of violence are not only a mandate of social justice, but a condition of quality for higher education.».
For its part, the coordinator of the Violence Elimination Axis of the commission and Coordinator of the Hayley Durán, Gender Equality and Coexistence Unit of the University of Aysén (UAysén)., stated that “this document seeks to highlight the leadership of CRUCH universities in building institutional responses that not only meet legal requirements, but are also enriched by situated experience, dialogue between knowledge, and the conviction that eradicating gender violence is a task that involves the entire university community.”.
Regarding the book's production process, the President of the Gender Equality Commission and Executive Secretary of the Office of Gender and Sexualities Angélica Marín, from the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE), He commented that “each session, each document, each prevention strategy, and each training session has been built from situated experience, from the recognition that gender violence is not an isolated or exceptional phenomenon, but an expression of structural inequalities that require comprehensive, intersectional, and transformative responses. In that sense, this document not only informs: it challenges, convenes, and proposes.”.
Future challenges
Regarding the challenges that need to be addressed, Rector Rodríguez indicated that they "include the increase in cyberbullying and the manifestation of hate speech and antifeminism on social media. Given this, it is the responsibility of the teams to focus their efforts on preventative strategies that promote a critical and transformative perspective." This is precisely the issue that the United Nations is highlighting in this commemoration of November 25th. See more here.
In response to this scenario, Hayley Durán stated that “we have a solid, reflective and committed network, which has demonstrated that it is possible to build institutional policies based on care, participation and justice.”.
Angélica Marín added that “one of the main lessons learned from this journey has been understanding that eradicating gender violence is not the task of a few, nor the exclusive responsibility of gender offices. It is an institutional effort that requires the active involvement of everyone in the university community: authorities, faculty, staff, and students. Only in this way can we move towards a university culture that promotes respectful treatment, equity, and dignity as guiding principles.”.
In that sense, “this document is offered as a tool to strengthen that path. As a collective record that compiles the progress made, highlights the critical issues, and projects the next steps within our universities and in dialogue with civil society and public policy on the matter. As a testament that change is possible when it is built on collaboration, respect, and ethical conviction,” Marín concluded.
The document is now available to the university community and the general public, reaffirming that, for CRUCH, eradicating gender violence is an indispensable condition of quality and social justice in higher education.
Download the document HERE
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