Protection against sexual harassment

The counselling and complaints offices at Leibniz Universität Hannover records complaints confidentially and discusses the next steps with those affected. The persons affected decide on each step, nothing is passed on to third parties.

Sexual harassment can result in sanctions under labour law for the person harassing, e.g. a warning, reassignment, transfer or dismissal. Students can be exmatriculated and persons who are only temporarily at Leibniz Universität can be banned from the premises.

Digital forms of sexual harassment and discrimination are treated equally. Digital violence is gender-based violence that uses technical aids and digital media (cell phones, apps, Internet applications, mails, etc.) or that takes place in the digital space, e.g., on online portals or social media. Manifestations of digital violence are: Defamation, exclusion, insults, harassment, stalking and threats against people, as well as identity theft and the unauthorized disclosure of private recordings and/or the sending of pornographic content.

Our counseling team receives regular training on dealing with digital violence and works with specialized counseling centers and organizations, including Cordelia Moore - Cyberviolence & HateAid.

For more information on digital violence, click here: Digital Violence.

The term sexual harassment in the sense of the Senate Guidelines of 1995 and the AGG is understood to mean any sexualised behaviour that is unwanted by the person concerned. This behaviour can be direct or indirect, verbal or non-verbal. It is insulting, intimidating, degrading or humiliating and is usually perceived as violence.

Examples: 

• Sexist, sexualised and gender-based degrading remarks (e.g. about appearance or sexuality).
• slurs or jokes
• unpleasant looks, stares or whistling after them
• physical harassment, such as unwanted touching or physical advances
• sexual propositions or requests for sexual acts
• use and distribution of offensive or pornographic content in the workplace
• forms of digital violence

 
The only decisive factor is whether a certain behaviour has a sexual character and the person concerned felt harassed by it.

In accordance with the Leibniz University Hannover Senate Guidelines of 1995 and the General Act on Equal Treatment of the Federal Government (AGG), sexual harassment is a violation of people's personal rights and will therefore not be tolerated.

Students and employees are protected from any form of sexual harassment, regardless of whether it is caused by superiors, colleagues, teachers or students.

Counselling centres are available to employees and students of Leibniz Universität Hannover for advice or to submit a complaint:

Hochschulbüro für ChancenVielfalt - Equal Opportunities Office
Consulting Service
0511 762 5750 or
beratung@chancenvielfalt.uni-hannover.de
www.chancenvielfalt.uni-hannover.de

Psychologisch-Therapeutische-Beratung - Psychological-Therapeutic Counselling (ptb)
0511 762 3779 or
info@ptb.uni-hannover.de
www.ptb.uni-hannover.de

Department 2 - Personnel and Legal Affairs
Please contact your respective administrator in the Human Resources Department: www.uni-hannover.de/de/universitaet/organisation/dezernate/personal 

At the institutes and facilities of LUH, there are counselling centres, persons or lecturers who provide support in the event of challenges during studies or problems at work. This list is not exhaustive. If you know of any other centres or people, please contact us.

• Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering offers a wide range of counselling services on the following topics: Barrier-free study, family during studies, women at the faculty and studying with illness. In addition to a decentralised Equal Opportunities Officer, there is also the Commission Gender in Mechanical Engineering. You can find all the programmes here: Structural Equal Opportunities and Diversity.
• Institute of Sports Science: Students who are having problems with their sports studies on their own are supported in word and deed by lecturers of trust: Lecturers of trust at the Institute of Sports Science. 
• University Sports Department (Zentrum für Hochschulsport, ZfH): The University Sports Department advocates fair play, adherence to rules and fair, respectful and attentive interaction with one another. This is a prerequisite for playing sport together and for joint sporting success. There are confidants at the ZfH to protect against abusive behaviour and discrimination: Violence Prevention at the ZfH.

Frauennotruf Hannover - Women's Emergency Hotline Hannover
0511 332112 or
info@frauennotruf-hannover.de
www.frauennotruf-hannover.de

Hilfetelefon – Beratung und Hilfe für Frauen - Help hotline - counselling and help for women
08000 116016 or
www.hilfetelefon.de

Männerbüro Hannover - Men's Office Hanover
0511 1235890 oder
info@maennerbuero-hannover.de
www.maennerbuero-hannover.de

Polizei Hannover - Hannover Police
Notrufnummer 110 or

Polizeikommissariat Hannover-Nordstadt - Hannover-Nordstadt Police Station
0511 1093115 or
www.onlinewache.polizei.niedersachsen.de

HateAid - Counseling and support for victims of online hate speech and hate comments
beratung@hateaid.org 
www.hateaid.org