{"id":6381,"date":"2022-05-12T15:41:05","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T15:41:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.consejoderectores.cl\/?p=6381"},"modified":"2022-05-12T15:41:05","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T15:41:05","slug":"comision-de-igualdad-de-genero-del-cruch-publica-documento-modelo-caleidoscopio-una-propuesta-de-abordaje-de-la-violencia-de-genero-en-el-contexto-universitario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consejoderectores.cl\/en\/2022\/05\/12\/comision-de-igualdad-de-genero-del-cruch-publica-documento-modelo-caleidoscopio-una-propuesta-de-abordaje-de-la-violencia-de-genero-en-el-contexto-universitario\/","title":{"rendered":"CRUCH Gender Equality Commission publishes document \u201cKaleidoscope Model: a proposal to address gender violence in the university context\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

The text, which compiles the experience of university teams in eradicating gender violence, is available at the CRUCH website, Publications section<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The rector of the University of Ays\u00e9n and head of the CRUCH Gender Equality Commission, Natacha Pino, and the rector of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences, Elisa Araya, highlighted the relevance of the document for universities, which will have to develop prevention, investigation and sanction models within the framework of the implementation of Law 21.369, which regulates sexual harassment, violence and gender discrimination in higher education.<\/p>\n

The presentation of the text included the participation of the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Ver\u00f3nica Figueroa, and the president of the Federation of Students of the University of Santiago of Chile (FEUSACH) and spokesperson for CONFECH, Noem\u00ed Quintana.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The idea of building a model to address gender violence arose in 2019, within the framework of the meetings of the Gender Equality Commission of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) and, after a collective work process, the document was published at the beginning of May of this year \u201cKaleidoscope Model: a proposal for addressing gender violence in the university context\u201d<\/a>, available on our website.<\/p>\n

The text was prepared by a team of 27 members, including gender directors from CRUCH universities and their teams, as well as various collaborators, and thanks to the leadership of the Coordinator of the Violence Eradication Axis of the commission, Ang\u00e9lica Mar\u00edn, from the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE), and the professional from the same university, Lorena Pezoa.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe development of this model is the result of several years of collaborative work among the CRUCH universities that make up this initiative, and it incorporates the experience of the institutions' own teams in eradicating gender-based violence,\u201d stated Ang\u00e9lica Mar\u00edn. \u201cIt has been a lot of hard work, work in which we have managed to find common ground and shared criteria. These are recommendations for action by the entire university community, since the task of eradicating gender-based violence is an institutional one,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

The main objective of the Kaleidoscope Intervention Model is to collaborate in addressing and eradicating all forms of gender violence within the educational institutions that are part of CRUCH.<\/p>\n

Regarding the model's name, Mar\u00edn explained that "it is inspired by the movements and diversity of images offered by a kaleidoscope, which, when rotated, reveals different possibilities based on combinations of elements such as light, colored pieces, and mirrors. This alludes to the multiple aspects and dimensions that must be considered when addressing gender-based violence.".<\/p>\n

Contribution to action planning<\/h4>\n

More than one hundred people connected remotely from various cities in Chile, Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia participated in the presentation of the \u201cKaleidoscope Model\u201d on May 3rd. On that occasion, Natacha Pino, Rector of the University of Ays\u00e9n and head of the CRUCH Gender Equality Commission, praised and thanked the group for their work.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it is a great honor to be able to accompany you in the work you do. I believe that much of what has been achieved in universities is due to the drive and effort you have dedicated to it, and I think it is very important to highlight and acknowledge that,\u201d the rector emphasized.<\/p>\n

Rector Pino highlighted the document \u201cas a contribution to planning our actions and concrete measures,\u201d both in \u201cthe development of our policies and in the challenge of implementing Law 21.369, which regulates sexual harassment, violence, and gender discrimination in higher education.\u201d In this context, universities will need to develop models for prevention, investigation, and sanctions.<\/p>\n

For her part, the rector of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences, Elisa Araya, referred to the document as \u201ca gift.\u00bb She added that Chile\u2019s current historical moment is ripe for generating change and expressed her certainty that \u201cthis network of institutions, of people, of women, of men, will continue working\u201d with the purpose of \u201cproviding the country with alternatives for justice, peace, and sustainability.\u201d.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the president of the Gender Equality Commission, Antonia Santos, while acknowledging \u201cthe good work, persistence, interest, and willingness of the participants in this collective effort,\u201d highlighted the progress made by universities since the commission was created in 2018, as well as the key principles that have guided the work: eradication of violence, institutionalization, and mainstreaming.<\/p>\n

She then stated that it is necessary to "understand that violence and addressing violence are part of gender equality policies within universities and that the application of the model will be possible to the extent that we strengthen and increase this recognition and institutionalization of gender offices in higher education institutions.".<\/p>\n

Regarding the next steps, Santos said that \u201cwe still have a long way to go to learn, debate, collaborate and build, in this commitment to gender equality in higher education institutions.\u201d.<\/p>\n

Incentive for inter-institutional collaboration<\/h4>\n

In the presentation of the document, the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Ver\u00f3nica Figueroa, stated that \u201ctalking about gender violence and having contributions that allow us to make it evident, that allow us to raise awareness about it, is not a task only for women, but for society as a whole, and certainly what we have to de-patriarchalize is society, and universities, institutions of higher education, are spaces of power that contribute significantly to generating social change.\u201d.<\/p>\n

Regarding university spaces, she stated that it is "painful" to recognize that "universities are not immune to structural gender violence and how, often, violence is reproduced in everyday life, from the examples used in the classroom, the lack of female role models in academic spaces, in positions of power, or how the university structure itself and the rules that govern within universities contribute to maintaining unequal conditions and even to fostering gender violence.".<\/p>\n

Regarding the book's proposal, Figueroa indicated that "it can serve to generate or encourage both collaboration and the generation of new proposals in other areas of higher education institutions.".<\/p>\n

She added that \u201cwe face many challenges at the Undersecretariat of Higher Education, and, as this book so aptly illustrates, no solution can be found in isolation. It requires forging alliances across various sectors to advance towards intersectional and inter-institutional policies that truly address gender-based violence as a structural problem in our society, not merely as a concern for higher education, but as a matter of public policy. We have embraced our identity as a feminist government, and this must be reflected in every action we take and every decision we make.\u201d.<\/p>\n

Paths that open up<\/h4>\n

Noem\u00ed Quintana, president of the Federation of Students of the University of Santiago of Chile (FEUSACH) and spokesperson for the Confederation of Students of Chile (CONFECH), also participated in the presentation of the text.<\/p>\n

The student leader appreciated that the document "recognizes, from an institutional perspective, things that are raised by the students themselves, from the grassroots, and that are then reflected in laws. This is very positive, and we say, well, the struggle was not in vain.".<\/p>\n

Quintana recalled the feminist May of 2018, which \u201cwas an explosion\u201d that made visible the cases of abuse in universities and although \u201cthat moment was hard, it now gives us the opportunity to have a law that can regulate that situation.\u201d.<\/p>\n

She also thanked those who worked on the kaleidoscope model and said that the paths being opened up by the contributions of those who work on this every day are important. She expressed her hope that institutions can adopt and implement it, so that they can fulfill their dreams of one day eradicating gender violence and achieving the gender perspective that institutions long for.<\/p>\n

The presentation is available below.<\/p>\n