İstanbul Technical University
Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policies

DIRECTIVE ON PREVENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND GENDER DISCRIMINATION with its FUNCTIONING METHODS and PRINCIPLES

This booklet has been prepared to inform ITU members of Istanbul Technical University’s Directive on Preventing Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination adopted by the University Senate in its meeting numbered 602, dated 11.09.2014 and the principles governing the functioning of this directive.

ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY DIRECTIVE ON PREVENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND GENDER DISCRIMINATION

ARTICLE 1 - Aim 
(1) The aim of this directive is to support academic, administrative, and contract personnel working part-time or full-time for Istanbul Technical University or its associated units and ITU students in matters of sexual harassment and gender discrimination and seek solutions.
(2) This directive establishes the organizational goals, fields of activity, responsibilities, and guiding principles of Istanbul Technical University Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination Prevention Board.

ARTICLE 2 - Scope 
(1) This Directive;
a) applies to all university units in professional and academic relationship.
b) encompasses incidents happening on-campus as well as incidents involving university units happening off-campus with an impact on living and working environment. 

ARTICLE 3 - Basis
(1) This Directive is based on Article 14 of Higher Education Law No. 2547, Article 17 of the Disciplinary Regulation for Administrators, Teaching Staff and Civil Servants of Higher Education Institutions, and Article 12 of the Student Disciplinary Regulation for Higher Education Institutions.

ARTICLE 4 - Definitions
(1) The following terms mentioned in this Directive shall mean as designated below:
(a) University: Istanbul Technical University,
(b) Rector: Rector of Istanbul Technical University,
(c) Senate: Istanbul Technical University Senate,
(d) Center: ITU Women’s Studies Center in Science, Engineering and Technology,
(e) Board: ITU Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination Prevention Board
(f) University units: Institutes, faculties, colleges, vocational schools, research and application centers as well as administrative units, social, cultural centers and sports centers of Istanbul Technical University,
(g) Members of the University: Academic, administrative, and contract personnel working part-time of full-time for Istanbul Technical University or its associated units, and students

Sexual Harassment: involves all speech, attitude or other conduct of a sexual nature that occur without any physical contact and the consent of the individual.

Based on the nature and the intensity of sexual conduct, sexual harassment is divided into three categories: simple harassment, persistent simple harassment, and aggravated harassment. The aforementioned types of sexual harassment include, but not limited to, any of the following:

a. Simple Harassment: offensive acts of sexual nature with no threat, blackmail or insults involved, such as sexually provocative comments or compliments or making sexually explicit jokes, using sexual slur, asking about sexual preferences or history, displaying pornographic materials etc. Also, harassment on the basis of sexual orientation is considered a form of simple harassment.
b. Persistent Simple Harassment: It is the repeated instances of simple harassment despite warnings.
c. Aggravated harassment: Acts of sexual nature accompanied by offences like insult, threat or blackmail, or any conduct causing individual to engage in sexual activity with a third person without consent. For example, acts such as implying or explicitly stating that there will be academic or professional consequences if an individual does not accept the sexual advances and there will be improper personal benefits when they do so.

Sexual Assault: violating a person’s right of bodily integrity with unconsented sexual conduct. Sexual assault can appear in two forms:
a. physical invasion of sexual nature without sexual intercourse. Among the examples of such assaults are hugging, touching and grabbing.
b. physical invasion of sexual nature by insertion of genitals or an object into the body of another individual.

Sexual Abuse: Acts of sexual harassment or assault directed against those under the age of 18.

Harassment on the basis of sexual orientation: any act discriminating against a person or violating their human rights on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Discrimination: It can manifest itself in direct and indirect forms of discrimination.

a. Direct discrimination: when one person is treated less favorably than another is, has been, or would be treated in a comparable situation on the basis of the larger group they are a part of. An example of this would be a member of the female gender group being treated less favorably than a member of the male gender.
b. Indirect discrimination: refers to a situation where an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice would put persons from a particular group at disadvantage compared with other persons unless that provision, criterion or practice is objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary.

Retaliation: Making disparaging remarks about a person or complicating a person’s work or education life in an implicit or explicit fashion for purposes of revenge because the person has turned down an act or proposal of sexual or romantic nature, or because the person believes that she/he has been sexually harassed or assaulted and wants to proceed or has already proceeded with complaint processes.