We are an international joint network of victims and survivors of gender violence and isolating gender violence.
Our Mission
This site is administered by victims of gender violence in universities in collaboration with isolating gender violence victims and those who support and are in solidarity with us. The victims of isolating gender violence are those who are being harassed (with false accusations and defamations) due to supporting direct victims. International research on this issue shows that institutional measures themselves are not enough to prevent sexual harassment and, thus, additional initiatives are necessary.
To eradicate sexual harassment and isolating gender violence at universities around the world, by joining the efforts of diverse networks from different countries in an international network of networks.
With World MeeToo University we would like to offer solidarity to victims of sexual harassment as well as isolating gender violence victims by listening to them and accompanying them in this situation. You can reach us at: worldmtuniversity@gmail.com (all the information shared with will be treated as strictly confidential). If you prefer that your email is read by just one person, you can contact Mar Joanpere (survivor and the first victim to win a case at Spanish Universities. She has helped many other victims to be survivors. She will keep the confidentiality only her): Comments related to the issues of the World MeeToo University Network can be published on this site. Comments that are against the aims of preventing both direct and isolating gender violence victims will be eliminated to ensure a safe online environment free of any violence.
Our History
We are breaking the silence since 1995. That year one of us presented the first report to the Rector of the University of Barcelona proposing that the problem should be recognized, and mechanisms be created, that already existed at that moment in the best universities worldwide. In 2003, the Plataforma Unitària Contra les Violències de Gènere (Unitary Platform Against Gender Violence) and other organisations launched the campaign “Let’s break the silence”, which promoted the approval of a Legislation against gender violence by the Spanish Parliament in 2004. Several of us with representation in that platform broke the silence openly in Spanish universities filing reports and conducting the first research that brought to light the problem and achieved that the Spanish Parliament approved the obligation of universities to recognize the universities and implement mechanisms.
In 2013 we created the Solidarity Network of Victims and Survivors, which was officially recognized by the Spanish government. In January of 2022, twenty-one of us were among the twenty-five women that El Periódico placed on the front page, publicly launching the MeToo University. Among us, there are also four of the first ten most cited female scholars on Gender Violence in Google Scholar. Over these years, and especially since the launching of the MeToo University, the network has been growing. Many and very diverse victims have asked for our support, almost always keeping the confidentiality. Among those who have managed to become survivors, some of them have joined the network.
Criteria for action – When a case comes up, when we know about a case, how do we act?
These criteria have been developed by the people who constitute this network. Here are the first victims of the movement; and the first ones who have supported us on this issue.
(1) Our priority is to defend the victims, at every moment, regardless of the isolating gender violence consequences this fact may have on us.
(2) We respect the decision of the victims.
(3) We respect the current law. We act within the legal framework and work to achieve changes in legislation.
(4) We encourage victims to make use of existing mechanisms. Both those of the universities and those of the police and the justice system.
(5) We ensure that in the application of these mechanisms, neither the victim nor the people who support him/her are harmed.
(6) We are working to improve these mechanisms so that they are adapted to the needs of the victims.
(7) Institutional mechanisms are not enough; therefore this movement will always be necessary to protect and defend the victims.
(8) We keep absolute confidentiality concerning everything victims disclose to us.
(9) Any action that is going to be proposed by this movement is based on scientific evidence.
(10) Our goal is always to enable victims to become survivors and to succeed personally and professionally.
International Standards
- Listen. Offer support and compassion. Be patient and try to avoid interrupting them or making statements that may be judgmental.
- Share resources. Let them know institutional resources are available.
- Don’t ask for details about what happened or why it happened. Let survivors share what they are comfortable sharing. Avoid questions that suggest blame.
- Challenge statements of self-blame. The responsibility for the assault lies with the perpetrator(s), regardless of what the survivor did leading up to, during, or after what happened.
- Ask how you can help. Know that many survivors may not be able to tell you what they need. Check in again later, or suggest things that may be helpful such as offering to accompany them to the hospital, police station, or campus security, if the survivor wants your support.
- Respect the survivor’s privacy. Do not tell others about the survivor’s assault, or reveal any names or details, without the survivor’s permission. Be aware that if you share the survivor’s story with individuals named “responsible employees” by your institution, they will have to make a report to your institution’s Title IX coordinator.
- Support the survivor’s decisions. Allow the survivor to make their own decisions regarding reporting and seeking services. These are very personal decisions, and it is critical for a survivor to regain a sense of control and agency.
- Take care of yourself. Supporting a survivor can be a very emotional and challenging experience. Pay attention to your needs — this could mean setting boundaries, spending time on activities you enjoy, or talking to a friend or counselor if needed.