Establishing a Harassment and Discrimination Initiative and Office in Nigeria (HADOIN)

The proposed Harassment and Discrimination Office in Nigeria (HADOIN) project is a new collaboration between University of Jos, Havey IGH and the NU Office of Civil Rights. Our overarching goal of the catalyzer program grant is to establish the Harassment and Discrimination Office in Nigeria (HADOIN) with the capacity to improve intervention and prevention of cases. Established offices that are resources for this project include: The Women’s Center, Office of Civil rights and Title IX Compliance, Center for Awareness Response & Education (CARE), Northwestern Counseling Services and Psychological Services (CAPS), and Northwestern Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion. We hypothesize that the establishment of an institutional harassment and discrimination office with accompanying policies and activities at the University of Jos will largely improve awareness and prevention of cases of harassment and discrimination. The specific aims for this project are: 1. Design Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), other needed infrastructures for reporting, enforcement, prevention, and response. 2. Adapt and develop the training resources, materials and trainers for use in Jos. 3. Conduct and evaluate initial training on harassment. The HADOIN project is very significant to the entrenchment of a new culture of respect of rights of persons in the workplace so as to engender a safe environment for productive science. The Office, courses, trainings, H&D personnel, and mentorship by NU will institutionalize H&D in the University of Jos to bring to book and prevent H&D in the scientific workforce; it will safeguard the investments of the FIC/NIH over the years, in capacity building for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.