Vanita will deliver a talk on understanding the nature of sexual harassment and violence in universities and challenges to institutional culture change.

Prof Sundaram, together with Prof Carolyn Jackson (Lancaster University) has just published a new book: Lad Culture in Higher Education: Sexism, Sexual Harassment and Violence. Responding to increasing concerns about the harmful effects of so-called ‘lad culture’ in British universities, and related ‘bro’ and ‘frat’ cultures in US colleges, this book is the first to explore and analyse the perspectives of university staff on the cultures, which foster sexism, homophobia, racism, sexual harassment and violence in hiher education contexts. Drawing on in-depth interviews with a broad range of staff and faculty across different types of universities in England, the book explores a number of issues, which Vanita will address in her talk at Bath.

Since Vanita joined the Department of Education at the University of York, her research has focused on sexual harassment and gender-based violence in education settings; the development of research-informed prevention models; methodologies for conducting research on harassment and violence with children and young people; and the content and role of sex and relationships education. Her current research projects focus on sexual violence in higher education; sexual harassment and violence in schools; developing culture-change initiatives to challenge violence and harassment in educational contexts. Vanita holds Athena SWAN and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion related posts at Department and University level, including leading Departmental Athena SWAN application, acting as departmental Equality & Diversity Champion and supporting the institutional Athena SWAN agenda.

The event will take place online, with a Zoom link made available a day before the event.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to University's ED&I Officer Aiste Senulyte at as836@bath.ac.uk.

Annual Gender Equality Lecture