¿Cómo se Mide el Acoso Sexual?: Aportes Para Determinar la Prevalencia del Acoso Sexual en las Instituciones de Educación Superior

This study seeks to contribute to the formulation and implementation of public and academic policies to combat, prevent and eradicate sexual harassment in higher education institutions in Ecuador. The design and validation of an instrument to measure sexual harassment, as well as the data obtained, allow the authorities to intervene in the face of a known but hidden problem. The final result is part of a long and intense collective process, where academic, ideological, technical and political debates were a constant. This explains why the text reflects a variety of contents ranging from theoretical inputs to a survey application manual. The document has different pretensions. On the one hand, it is a contribution to the theoretical debate on the subject of sexual harassment and gender violence; on the other hand, it provides valuable information for those interested in the subject; additionally, it provides methodological inputs and an instrument to replicate the process in any university in the country and the region. One of the most relevant findings of the survey was the male hegemony in decision-making positions in national universities. Although at the level of the student body, women are in the majority in almost all the institutions, management positions are predominantly occupied by men. This circumstance was a determining factor at the time of conducting the survey, due to the opposition of professors, deans and management personnel who perceived research as a threat to the academic and administrative status quo.