This investigation was awarded first prize in the Grand Prix MALINA (2021) competition, which rewards the best investigations on the theme of corruption.
This investigation was carried out as part of the 16 days of activism to end violence against women, November 25 – December 10.
The victims are students, future doctors, young employees and trainees. The perpetrators are employers, professors, renowned doctors, high-ranking personalities and hierarchical superiors. In return for a sexual favor, those in authority can change the course of a life. Refusing them exposes the victim to a daily nightmare of harassment, violence, humiliation and failed exams. Submitting to them plunges them into a world of compromise, psychological and physical violence and, above all, sexual corruption. When we investigated sexual corruption in the academic and professional world, we came up against an almost generalized omerta. A silence maintained by the fear of reprisals and the shame felt by victims in general, and the taboo associated with sexual violence in particular.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work in this field more than anything else in the world. Aside from the financial rewards and the potential of this immense career, I was obsessed with this field to the point of dreaming about it at night. I gave myself the means to make my dream come true. I thought that finishing among the very best in a national competition involving over 800 medical students, for just 150 places, would be the hardest part. But I was soon disillusioned. In the end, my efforts, my dream and my hopes would be destroyed by a pervert to whom I had the misfortune to refuse fellatio”. With these words, this medical student recounted the sexual corruption faced by students in Madagascar. A phenomenon that is almost universal, according to the testimonies gathered.
What is sexual corruption?
Gender-based corruption (CBSG) or sexual corruption is manifested by the distortion of the exercise of power (withholding of a service due, violation of procedures, illicit provision of services against payment…) motivated by obtaining an advantage with a sexual connotation, according to the Report of the Independent Anti-Corruption Bureau (Bianco) in August 2018. In other words, it’s the behavior of anyone who takes advantage of their authority over another subordinate person to demand a sexual act in exchange for advancement, hiring, promotion etc. Still little known to the public in these terms (Sexual Corruption or Gender-Based Corruption), “canapés promotions”, or whatever you want to call this practice, are condemned by law under Article 333 bis of the Malagasy Penal Code.
Art. 333 bis of the Malagasy Penal Code – Anyone who subordinates the performance of a service or act within the scope of his or her function to the obtaining of favors of a sexual nature, or who demands favors of the same nature from a person before obtaining, either for himself or herself or for another person, a job, a promotion, a reward, a decoration, an advantage of any kind or a favorable decision, will be punished by one to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of 1,000,000 Ariary to 4,000,000 Ariary.
Anyone who has used threats of sanctions, effective sanctions or serious pressure to induce a person under his authority to grant him favors of a sexual nature, or to take revenge on a person who has refused him such favors, will be punished by two to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 2,000,000 Ariary to 10,000,000 Ariary.
The issue of sexual corruption is a difficult one to address. Almost all those approached requested strict anonymity, whether they were victims or witnesses to acts of CBSG. Maître Olivia Rajerison, a lawyer at the Madagascar Bar, explains: “The subject you are raising (sexual corruption) is a very delicate one. Not only does it evoke corruption in the workplace, a subject that is already difficult to open up to, but it also touches on a very personal aspect of the lives of those concerned: their families, careers and reputations are at stake. Generally speaking, corruptors have a very strong hold over their victims, so it’s normal and understandable that victims are afraid of reprisals and therefore don’t dare to testify.”
The holy will of the “Patrons
Two young medical students, a 19-year-old girl and a 21-year-old boy, both qualifying interns but in different specializations, had the courage to tell us about what they were going through. These students came to meet us, accompanied by an association that campaigns for human rights. They said they were fed up with the practices of sexual corruption in their own faculty. After much reflection, the two students decided to break the silence, a little tense but determined to speak out.
According to the young student, sexual corruption has become a common practice in some medical courses in Madagascar. This is particularly the case in one of the most popular courses, where sexual corruption has almost become the norm. According to this student, sexual corruption becomes more prevalent after the first seven years of medical studies, when the young graduate decides to specialize, particularly in this highly prestigious curriculum. Regretfully, this student, however highly motivated to join this course, decides to abstain: “The professors, to whom we owe respect and obedience, abuse their position and power to force students they like to go out and have sex with them. I thought about enrolling, but when I heard all kinds of stories about this program, I decided not to.”
This reputation is such that today, there are definitely more male than female students in this specialization. This is largely due to the fact that, according to this young doctor, the students who enter the field are subjected to very strong pressure from their hierarchical superiors, the “bosses” as they call them. “Girls are very often sexually harassed, while boys are verbally abused… Apart from that, we’re asked to do other services: buy them a T-shirt, wash cars, replace the tires on their cars with our own money… The expression” Patron” refers to a clear dynamic: from the start of our internship, our course will be conditioned by these people alone and will depend on them. Basically, we’re at their total disposal,” add the two students. For fear of reprisals from their “bosses”, the victims choose another specialization or remain silent.
A nurtured omerta
In the case of medical studies in particular, we were told, reprisals are likely to affect the careers of victims who decide to rebel. The two witnesses told us that, because of their authority, the “bosses” have the power to put an end to these students before their thesis. If this is the case, the seven or eight years of medical school will have been for nothing: if before their thesis, the “bosses” decide to put an end to these young doctors’ careers. Then they’ll find themselves on the same level as the new baccalaureate holders…
Report published in 2018 by the Independent Anti-Corruption Bureau on a sample of 434 people across ten industries:
44.01% admitted to having heard of sexual corruption elsewhere than within their workplace.
71.20% admitted to having heard of sexual corruption outside their home establishment. This first trend shows that sexual corruption is widespread in Madagascar.
High-profile personalities at the helm
Our witnesses are unanimous: they have all heard of sexual corruption, or know of victims, in this branch of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Antananarivo. After much discussion and confidence-building, our sources have finally named the perpetrators of sexual corruption: they mention two names of high-ranking personalities, occupying very senior positions within the Administration.
Testimonies from several witnesses and victims:
“I was a qualifying intern in Professor X’s department. I wasn’t yet aware of his sad reputation, and I didn’t distrust him. He often called me into his office to give me advice, to ask me how he could help me. I thought he was a really nice guy, who took good care of his students. But I soon realized his real intentions. Fortunately, I was able to get away from him, unlike one of my classmates who had no choice but to give in.”
“Professor Y is reputed to be a real womanizer. When one of his victims rebuffs his advances, he manages to put her under pressure, even if it means pushing her to make a mistake in her duties, and blames her in public.” Another of Professor Y’s victims had rebuffed his advances, and in revenge, Professor Y refused to do his job as a professional supervisor properly. He made life hell for her, insulting and belittling her, and eventually she had to stop her specialization and go back to studying general medicine. And yet, according to her fellow students, she was a brilliant young doctor with a great future ahead of her. Contacted by telephone, Professor Y denied these accusations.
A battle to be won
To the question: “What solutions could be explored to put an end to sexual corruption?
“I can’t think of any. Here, in the field of medicine, we’ve already tried a lot. One student has already complained to the administration, but the reprisals were bloody. One of these perverts should be given an exemplary sanction. So that the others see that there will be no more impunity. And above all, so that the other students still here can testify and protect themselves. But it still seems impossible: no one has ever won a case against a representative of the state.” - Member of the nursing staff at an Antananarivo hospital
“To publicize the law, the one that protects people from Sexual Corruption, and the one that punishes the corrupters. And possibly, damages to motivate others to testify. You also need to be part of a whole that could stand in solidarity in the event of such abuses, hence the whole point of being part of a strong union.” - Jerisoa Ralibera, president of the paramedics’ union. Until a few years ago, paramedical trainees and midwives were also among the victims of sexual corruption in the hospital environment. But it’s only by organizing and standing together that paramedics, through their union, have been able to break this stranglehold. Sexual corruption is a constant threat. We bring you these testimonies, as our contribution to launching the debate and action against sexual corruption, which is rampant in our society, either indifferently or ignorantly. Transparency International – Initiative Madagascar will make an official report of these cases of sexual corruption and will transmit the complete testimonies and the names of the presumed perpetrators to Bianco.
Cover photo source: https://fr.freepik.com/
