Addis Ababa University needs to play the primary role and take the responsibility to alleviate challenges affecting educational success of female students; its intervention should have a comprehensive nature focusing on eliminating academic, social, psychological and economic barriers affecting the students.

Purpose: The purpose of the policy is to:

• Establish comprehensive and supportive strategy for female students that would help them reach their maximum academic competence.
• Enhance assertive behavior and self-confidence of female students so as to help them achieve their goal and reach on their right decision.
• Establish friendly and conducive academic environment which is free from abuse, harassment, violence and protects their legal rights.
• Economically assist needy female students.

Guiding principles

• Providing legal protection to female students’ safe teaching learning environment through coordinated work with relevant offices in the university;
• Creating a better academic environment that would benefit female students, and canceling them on preventive measures;
• Enhancing academic competence of female students by providing them with additional tutorial classes;
• Assisting female students to get better services in the University;
• Facilitating economic support to needy female students.

Policy statements

• Organize female welcoming troupe differently from graduate students,
• Arrange dormitory and food services for female students before arrival with special attention, /after arrival, no female student shall pass a single night out of the campus/;
• Special orientation and socialization programs shall be organized for female students;
• Female students shall be categorized according to their needs;
• Facilities and supports shall be organized based on the needs of female students.

Implementation Procedures

• Admission of new female students would be guided by a volunteer welcoming group selected and authorized by the Dean of Students and Students Union.
• To facilitate identification and support, list of incoming new female students and their respective departments shall be notified by the registrar office.
• Realizing previous undesirable life experience of majority of female students, training will be conducted on study skills, assertiveness self-expressive skills, decision-making, and others that would reduce potential challenges during their stay in campus.
• Physical, social and sexual harassment and /or abuse on female students is a human right violation which would be referred to pertinent offices of the university and legal offices proper arraignment
• Secure legal protection through coordinated work with relevant offices in the university.
• For better academic environment that would benefit female students and put in place preventive measures, male students would get the opportunity for orientation and discussion with regard to violence against female students and its academic and legal consequences.
• To enhance academic competence of female students, academic training and tutorial programs will be conducted.
• In collaboration with relevant stockholders, economically needy female students would get assistance.
• Empower female students so they can protect themselves from any violence and/or abuse during their stay in the campus.
• In collaboration with the Guidance and Counseling Office, female students learning in each campus of the University would get advice and counseling services.
• In collaboration with relevant stockholders, female students would have access to services within the campus so that their time, labor, money and other social risks eliminated.
• Establish collaboration with other universities so female student can have the opportunity to share experiences.