THE higher and further education sectors are really important to our society and we can be rightly proud of the work that goes on in these world class institutions.

But along with that world class education is the fact students and staff have an absolute right to a safe environment where they feel protected, supported and where they can develop to their full potential.

When I came to Strathclyde University to begin life as a student I remember very vividly getting dropped off as a young girl from a town in Kirkcaldy into the centre of Glasgow and wondering how on earth I was going to deal with it.

Read more: New guide to tackle violence against female university students

We know there are challenges and some of the statistics are frightening with one in four young women experiencing some form of sexual harassment or intimidation within the first week of arriving at a university or college.

That is unacceptable and it cannot be allowed to continue in our society where that becomes normalised as something that just happens. That is why this is such an important issue for the Scottish Government.

That violence cannot be looked at in isolation because this is a societal issue that is deep and engrained, but because so many young women will come to college or university it makes it so important to tackle this and challenge these behaviours on campus.

The important point to make is that this is just the start and we need to ensure this new guidance is adopted by every single university and college and that we work to ensure it is not an add on and that it sits at the absolute heart of higher and further education.

We will be keeping a close eye on this because it is time for it to be taken forward so that young women feel safe and know that there is support available, but also that we start tackling the fact young men feel this behaviour is acceptable within their own peer group.

Shirley-Anne Somerville is Scottish Government minister for higher education