Federal Urdu University VC found guilty of sexist remarks

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment (FOSPAH) has found the Vice Chancellor of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST), Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari, guilty of workplace harassment for making sexist remarks about women faculty members.

In a judgment delivered by Ombudsperson Fauzia Viqar, Dr Shinwari was declared guilty of discriminatory behaviour for comments implying that “women above the age of 35 face hormonal issues” and are “mentally unstable.”

The case was initiated on a complaint by a university lecturer, who accused Dr Shinwari and the head of the computer sciences department of harassment. While the complaint against the department head was dismissed for lack of evidence, FOSPAH upheld the complaint against the vice chancellor after reviewing multiple statements and testimonies.

One of Dr Shinwari’s recorded remarks stated that “when females reach the age of around 35 or above, they experience hormonal issues and their mental condition becomes unstable, causing them to create problems for others.”

The Ombudsperson ruled that such statements were “inherently sexist, derogatory and demeaning,” noting that they create a hostile work environment and violate the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.

FOSPAH imposed a minor penalty of censure on the vice chancellor under Section 4(4)(i)(a) of the Act and directed the university’s Syndicate to monitor his conduct to prevent future incidents. The Syndicate has been instructed to submit a compliance report within one week.

The order also directed FUUAST to take institutional steps to foster a safer environment, including establishing a Standing Inquiry Committee, displaying the statutory Code of Conduct, and conducting regular gender-sensitivity workshops.

In her remarks, Ombudsperson Fauzia Viqar stressed that university leadership holds a moral and institutional responsibility to set an example of respect and equality, stating that “ignorance of gender stereotypes cannot absolve duty bearers of responsibility.”