Zero Tolerance – Catholic University of Louvain (BE)

In 2021, the Gender Officer of the Catholic University of Louvain began a university-wide ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign to combat harassment and sexual violence at student and faculty level. The campaign includes several measures: (1) mandatory online training for all students and staff (in French and English) to raise awareness of the different types of violence and the notion of consent; (2) 35,000 stickers were distributed in student welcome packs, with the message “Harassment? Sexual assault? The perpetrator is the guilty party! UCLouvain supports you. A listening ear, psychological help, accompaniment, filing a complaint, in complete confidentiality”; (3) a symposium in 2022 will bring together experts and policymakers to raise awareness and involve other higher education institutions; (4) the App'Elles app lets people call the police in dangerous situations; and (5) a six-episode podcast, Les louv.es, addressing sexual violence in higher education (ordinary sexism, harassment, aggression, rape culture) to give students a voice, deconstruct the mechanisms underpinning such violence, and encourage critical thinking.