Campus Life Titbits with CEGRAD by - Prof Eunice Fay Amissah

Key wellness strategies, self-care techniques, and productivity-like guidance from the session

• Build safer, healthier campus relationships

  • Treat university life as more than exams: focus on healthy relationship-building, learning to navigate campus responsibly, and making choices that shape your future.
  • Segrat (CEGRAD) is framed as a safe and confidential space: whatever you share stays there, and you’re encouraged to visit anytime.

• Use a values-based decision system

  • Identify your values (what you won’t compromise) and let them guide choices in dating, sex, friendships, and interactions.
  • Make decisions by asking:
    • Does this align with my values?
    • What kind of relationship am I looking for (casual, long-term, etc.)?
    • How clear am I emotionally (certainty vs. just going along for shared pleasure)?
    • What about STDs prevention and pregnancy prevention?
    • What about personal hygiene/cleanliness?

• Apply an “ABCs” rule for sexual decisions

  • A = Abstain
    • If abstaining aligns with your values, don’t be pressured to have sex while on campus.
  • B = Be faithful / choose safe sex
    • If you choose sexual activity: remain faithful to your partner and use condoms to practice safer sex.
  • C = (Decision consideration before sex)
    • The talk emphasizes considering alignment with values, relationship status, emotions/intent, STDs/pregnancy, and hygiene before any sexual activity.

• Use the “relationship quadrant” to clarify compatibility

  • Essential characteristics: non-negotiable qualities
  • Tolerable: things you can accept/compromise on
  • Bonus: desirable but not crucial qualities
  • Deal breakers: unacceptable issues that end the relationship if present
  • This helps you communicate expectations and choose relationships more intentionally.

• Communication as core relationship “infrastructure”

  • Communication is the lifeline of relationships.
  • Includes verbal and non-verbal communication (body language conveys much more meaning than words).
  • Communicate clearly what you:
    • Can accept, accommodate, tolerate, and consider essential/bonus
    • Are saying yes or no to

• Consent-focused sexual safety (explicit, affirmative, ongoing)

  • Consent must be verbal/explicit, clear, affirmative, and enthusiastic.
  • Consent is not silence.
  • Both parties must have unimpaired judgment.
  • Consent can be withdrawn at any time—if someone says no, you must stop immediately.
  • Removing clothes or initiating intimate touch does not automatically mean consent.

• Understand sexual harassment and prevent harm

  • Sexual harassment includes unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or sexual conduct that causes offense, humiliation, awkwardness, embarrassment, or uses a sexual condition to affect grades/employment outcomes.
  • For an act to qualify as harassment, the talk highlights:
    • The receiver views it as unwanted/sexual
    • The harasser’s intention (humiliate/demean/extract favor)
    • The effect (physical/emotional harm, hostile/offensive environment)

• Recognize types of sexual harassment

  • Hostile environment: behavior makes the environment emotionally abusive and limits participation/benefits (e.g., fear in class).
  • Sexual coercion / quid pro quo: threats or promised rewards to obtain sexual favors (e.g., to protect grades or job security).

• Why harassment happens (risk factors highlighted)

  • Gender stereotypes (expecting women/men to “give in”)
  • Power relations (TAs, student leaders, religious leaders, lecturers, etc.)
  • Victim blaming culture (e.g., blaming what someone wore or why they “went there”)
  • Toxic masculinity/submission expectations

• Digital/tech safety for cyber harassment prevention

  • Common forms mentioned:
    • Sending unsolicited explicit content
    • Cyber stalking using fake accounts
    • Revenge porn (uploading/sharing intimate media without consent; coercion threats)
    • Doxing (revealing intimate details)
  • Key precautions:
    • Remember: the internet never forgets
    • Be careful about who you interact with online
    • If repairing devices, remove/delete sensitive information first
  • The session states these behaviors are illegal in Ghana and should be handled through appropriate channels.

• Where to get help (support as a self-care strategy)

  • CEGRAD/Segrat is described as a campus safe space for students and staff.
  • Location guidance given: last floor of the CA building (near/with “SGA” signage), and you can walk in and report concerns.

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Presenters or sources

• Prof Eunice Fay Amissah (speaking/facilitating; referred to in the session title as “Prof Eunice Fay Amissah”)
• CEGRAD / Segrat — Center for Gender Research Advocacy and Documentation (campus support/service referenced in the subtitles)