CPUT recently unveiled a banner on the Bellville Campus, outlining the institution’s position on Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

Kuselwa Marala, Acting Director: Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity & Social Change, welcomed attendees and said part of the legislative framework relating to GBV in the Post-School Education and Training sector “urges us to be visible and advocate against GBV”.

“So what we are doing today is unveiling a statement by CPUT on our position as we try to fight the scourge against gender-based violence.”

Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo, said the institution’s position on GBV is very clear, unambiguous and unapologetic. 

He said visitors to CPUT should be able to look up at the banner and say, “that is our position”’.

Nhlapo said that as a Higher Education Institution, he expected the university to also look at the impact that “we have made ever since we took this posture”.

“Let’s reflect as academics to say is there any dent, how are our numbers looking, have we seen reduction in terms of the figures that we are getting…”

He added that it was also key to look at whether we were embracing leading practice as far as addressing and facing the scourge head-on.

“It is known in literature that one out of three women experience GBV in their lives. And we are saying one GBV case is one GBV case too many at CPUT.”

In closing remarks, Dr David Phaho, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, said that as “we unveil the banner, lest we forget those who have suffered and died both in our country and beyond our borders, simply because of their gender or sexual orientation”.

Banners will also be unveiled on the university’s other campuses.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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As the country reels after the recent spate of violence against women, various CPUT students including those from Dental Technology and Journalism departments decided to put action behind their words and participate in Black Friday.

A social initiative encouraging all South Africans to show their support for Rape Awareness by wearing black today, Black Friday’s message is one of solidarity and support.

More than 200 dental technology students and academic staff took part, all clad in black they stood in front of the Sarleh Dollie building at Tygerburg Hospital campus, in silence, to pay homage to all those affected by violence against women and children.

Supportive: Three first-year journalism students take part in Black Friday. They all believe that enough is enough.

“It was a student-driven idea, a few students came to me yesterday because they wanted to do something. And the response is amazing as most students took part,” says a lecturer in the Department of Dental Sciences, Zuleika Nortjie.

One of the students who initiated the idea, Vinique Veltman, a Dental Assistant student says that their hearts and prayers go out to all the victims of violence against women and children.

“We want to show our support to the family and friends of all the victims,” says Vinique. 

At the Bellville campus various students took part including various first-year journalism students, such as Alice Paulse who had a few strong words, “What happened recently has really hit home, it’s a sad situation and something has to be done. This is a start, but more needs to happen.”

Social Media

United: “It’s important for men to show their support. As the public needs to know that there are good guys out there who support women,” says Matthew Alexander.

The message of Black Friday has spread widely on social networking sites, calling on all South Africans to participate under the slogan, Enough is Enough.

By: Nurahn Ryklief

Written by CPUT News

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“Women are the glue that holds families, community and a nation together.” Those were the sentiments of one of the speakers at the Provincial Parliament launch event for 16 days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. The annual campaign takes place from 25 November to 10 December and is marked globally to raise awareness about the violence perpetrated on women and children in our society. NGOs and leaders from community development organisations across the Peninsula were invited and participated.

Organised to the last detail by CPUT’s Events Management Short Course students from the Centre for Graduate Management, last week’s launch formed part of the students’ integrated summative assessment and their contribution to community engagement.

According to Beryl Liebetrau, an Events Management lecturer, the students’ involvement ran to not just staging the event, but included administration, invitations, the programme, selection of participants and speakers, finance, décor, refreshments, registration and protocol - every area of event organisation and management. “The students also needed to look at other facets of activism. Safety, risk, legislative compliance and broad-based community involvement were some of the added elements the student’s had to consider to meet the client’s objectives,” says Liebetrau.

The students were assessed on, amongst other things, their professionalism, ability to communicate, their attitude, appearance and training of volunteers, the registration process, directional signage at the event, safety, catering, the programme and choice of speakers.

Laetitia Meter, one of the students, says, “Even though we had some hiccups at the beginning, we managed to handle them. Today’s experience has taught me more about Events Management and because we organised the event for Parliament, it also taught us how to do things according to the legislation and ground rules.”

President Jacob Zuma launches this year’s 16 days of Activism campaignnationwide, delivering a keynote address at the opening ceremony in Khayelitsha. Concerns this year include the rise of figures involving the dumping of babies – in the Cape Metro area alone, over 500 babies are abandoned a year. On a provincial level, Premier Helen Zille, and MEC of Social Development Patricia De Lille are focusing on holding maintenance defaulters responsible and ensuring that beneficiaries receive the money due to them.

The campaign calls for supporters to wear a white ribbon during the 16-day period as a symbol of peace – and a symbol of the commitment of the wearer to never commit or condone violence against women and children.

By Andiswa Dantile

Written by CPUT News
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Six first-year Surface Design students of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology have designed a bench with a strong message on violence against women and children.
The bench was auctioned at the Cape Homemakers Expo at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and all proceeds were donated to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

The students decided to take a stand against violence against women and children and designed their bench to convey this message. Twenty designers were asked to design benches. CPUT was the only tertiary education institution.

“The idea of the bench started with a process of fabric manipulation - fabric that grew around the smocked little dress of a five year old girl. “The cacti create the contrast against the beautiful tactile qualities that can be seen in the fabric, colour and texture. This is representative of the contrast between the brutal violence and the innocence of the children.

Our message is not all about negativity. The cacti in our design are beautiful just like the people in our country too are beautiful, regardless of their actions. With this, we want to convey a message of hope and a belief in our country’s future,” says lecturer, Ms Julia Brewis.

One of the students, Inge van der Post, said the process was emotionally draining.

“This is a sensitive topic and it is personal. We used an actual little girl’s dress for our design and we had to think what girls go through and how they grow into women,” said Inge.

For Heseré Gildenhuys the process was an eye-opener. “You get so caught up in your own world, you never think about the problems out there. This made me realise that we have serious problems.”

Weyers Marais was the only male in the group, “We tried to focus on the positive and the negative. It is a message of hope that there is hope for abused children.”

Written by CPUT News
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Staff members and students took a stand against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) during a silent protest, which took place simultaneously on the Bellville, District Six, Mowbray and Wellington campuses.

Wearing a touch of purple, they demonstrated their support for victims of GBV and raised awareness of this social ill which affects so many South Africans.

About 400 trees across campuses were also wrapped in purple to create awareness of the campaign.

“The protest is one of the events planned for Women’s Month. Almost on a daily basis we hear about women being raped, beaten and killed. According to reports, 10 percent of all reported rape cases happened at institutions of higher learning and one woman is killed by her intimate partner every eight hours,” said Melanie Marais, Head of HIV/Aids Unit.

“We believe that GBV is a behavioural problem and it is within everyone’s power to stop GBV on campus and in society. Women are disproportionately affected by GBV. As an institution of higher learning, we cannot turn a blind eye. Our main message is that those affected by GBV should speak out and not give alleged perpetrators power, whether it happens at home or on campus.”

Championed by the HIV/Aids Unit, the event was a partnership between Student Affairs and the Institutional Transformation Unit.

Last year the university launched its Institutional Position Statement on Gender-Based Violence.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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CPUT continues to show its commitment to the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) with members of the Executive Management recently receiving training on GBV and their responsibilities.

Nonkosi Tyolwana, Director for Institutional Transformation, Social Cohesion and Diversity, said the training is the university’s response to the Policy Framework on addressing Gender-Based Violence in higher education and a call by the Department of Higher Education and Training for universities to respond adequately to the scourge of GBV

“This is also in preparation for the rollout of GBV training across the university. CPUT has approved the Terms of Reference for the establishment of a high-level Institutional GBV Committee that is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor and led by EM members. The committee, comprised of Management and the SRC, will be inaugurated at its first meeting soon.”

She said the training, which took place online, was also to map out the GBV roll-out plan across the university

CPUT has partnered with the Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority. The Training is led by Adv. Lizelle Africa and Adv. Mark Kenny of the Western Cape National Prosecuting Authoring (NPA)  

Prof Driekie Hay-Swemmer, Executive Director: Office of the Vice-Chancellor, said the training was revealing, direct and broad-minded.  

“The training was spot-on, alluding to the 21st-century environment during which the broader understanding/characterising of sexual identities were explored/ explained. There is a lot of training that needs to occur – starting from the early childhood development years and accompanying parent support programmes, the basic school education approach and curriculum.” 

The training will be rolled out and cascaded down to all levels.  

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT is making steady progress with the institution’s Policy on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) with a recently formed steering committee set to take the process forward.

The 15-member committee consists of academic and non-academic staff, Legal Services, Student Counselling, the HIV/Aids unit, Human Capital, the incoming SRC President as well as representatives from the Department of Justice and the National Prosecuting Authority.

The draft policy has already been circulated to staff and students and the feedback received will be discussed at the committee’s next meeting, according to Melanie Marais, steering committee member and Head of the HIV/Aids Unit.

“The steering committee will be taking the process forward. We are getting systems and processes in place to ensure that awareness happens on GBV and that there is a formal setting when it comes to reporting the stats. We will follow the necessary processes before the policy goes to MANCOM and eventually to Council for approval.”

Marais encouraged students to report incidents of GBV.

“If you are in residence, report incidents to your residence coordinator, on campus to the head of your department or campus protection services. In rape cases, the rape survivor will be taken to their nearest Thuthuzela Care Centre where specialised support and prescribed medical intervention will take place. It’s very important that the rape survivor doesn’t shower or bath as this will wash evidence away. The incident needs to be reported as soon as possible. An antiretroviral drug has to be started within 72 hours after the incident.”

Marais said the institution has a zero tolerance on sexual & gender-based violence and is committed to supporting survivors of GBV and would do its utmost to ensure the privacy of survivors of GBV.

Campus Security can be reached on the following numbers:

Bellville (021) 959 6301/6550

Cape Town: (021) 460 3122/3631

Granger Bay: 021 440 5726

Mowbray: (021) 680 1582

Wellington: (021) 864 5551

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT today declared a zero tolerance approach against gender-based violence.

The Institutional Position Statement on Gender-Based Violence was officially launched this morning at a function where the university and government partners made it clear that gender-based violence had no place in higher education institutions.

“We are saying: ‘We don’t have an appetite for gender-based violence. We don’t have tolerance for gender-based violence and as an institution, we are going to deal harshly with all these particular aspects if they try in any way to rear their ugly head within the confines of CPUT, said Vice-Chancellor, Dr Chris Nhlapo.

Deputy Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela commended CPUT for its progressive approach in developing the policy.

“Gender-based violence, including rape and other forms of sexual harassment remains one of the foremost challenges that we have to tackle hand in hand as citizens and as government. We cannot treat gender-based violence with a business as usual attitude.”

He said the scourge of gender-based violence at higher education institutions had been a constant plague that interferes with students’ studies and careers.

“It corrupts the integrity of the education system and erodes the Constitutional rights to equality, dignity and freedom from all forms of violence.”

Thokozani Nyawasha from The Higher Education and Training HIV/AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) said the Higher Education Gender-Based Violence Policy Framework, would ensure that all universities and colleges must have dedicated gender-based violence police. She said this policy was currently undergoing internal processes before its planned release later this year.

“Our hearts bleed when we witness an increase in gender-based violence in institutions of higher learning. We, however, find solace in what we are witnessing today. This day shows that it is time to act and not to talk. While many universities and TVET colleges still do not have any policies on gender-based violence CPUT has demonstrated leadership”.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT’s Institutional Gender-Based Violence Position Statement will officially be launched today (August 16).

Students and staff have been invited to attend the event, which will be held at the Major Sports Hall on the Bellville campus between 10 am and 2 pm.

The host of speakers will include Buti Manamela: Deputy Minister of Higher Education & Training and Anne Githuku-Shongwe, Country Director: UN Women.

In addition to the speakers the CPUT Choir, the CPUT Drama Group and other groups will perform.

“According to research findings by the SA Medical Research Council, one woman is killed by her intimate partner every eight hours, the highest incidence in the world,” said Melanie Marais, Head of the HIV/Aids Unit.

“The statement provides the university’s position and response to gender-based violence at the institution, highlighting the safety of students and staff, especially survivors of gender-based violence. It also intends to take a serious stance against alleged perpetrators.”

She said the Men’s Forum aims to involve men in being part of the solution in the fight against gender-based violence.

“We’ve already started a campaign, called the Amajitas Men’s Campaign, where a number of discussions amongst and about men took place and some male students and staff have already joined the forum.”

The men will read a pledge against gender-based violence during today’s function.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The highlight of Women’s Month at CPUT will be the launch of the Gender-Based Violence Policy on 16 August.

Students and staff are invited to attend the launch of the GBV policy which replaces the Sexual Harassment Policy. A Men’s Forum will also be launched at the same event.

In addition to the GBV Policy launch, the institution will host the 2018 Young Women Empowerment Conference on 18-19 August aimed at female students at Western Cape higher education institutions, including TVET colleges.

The Policy and Men’s Forum launch takes place between 10 am and 1 pm on 16 August in the Sports Hall on Bellville Campus.

On 18 August CPUT Vice-Chancellor Dr Chris Nhlapo will welcome students and speakers, including the conference's two keynote speakers Minister of Women in the Presidency Minister Bathabile Dlamini and Artscape CEO Dr Marlene le Roux.

Head of CPUT’s HIV/Aids Unit Melanie Marais said while the conference was aimed at female students the launch of the GBV Policy and Men’s Forum was open to everyone.

“The Institutional Position Statement on gender-based violence and the Policy has been discussed widely and approved by management. We have to acknowledge that yes, men are part of the problem of gender-based violence, but they are also part of the solution,” said Marais.

She said last year’s Young Women Leadership Conference was well attended and well received and this year there will be breakaway sessions on men as partners in GBV, networking and social media, reproductive health, entrepreneurship, leadership and personal development as well as digital storytelling. During the plenary sessions, gender-based violence, mental health and disability and access will all form part of important conference discussions.
Student Development Officer Melani Hara said she has been working closely with Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Innovative Educational Technology Daniela Gachago on the digital storytelling aspect. They will use videos that have already been created to elicit stories about the issues young people are facing.

“It gives a platform to the young women who are attending on the day. The conference is as much about the important people who will attend as it is about the youngsters, to give them a chance to gain skills and learn,” said Hara.

Anyone interested in attending the launch of the Gender Based Violence Policy and Men’s Forum can follow this link and check here for more information on the conference.

• CPUT GBV Position Statement

Written by Theresa Smith
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Statistics on gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa are staggeringly high and universities are not immune to the scourge.

As part of its response, the Department of Higher Education and Training and HEAIDS is developing a standardised framework for GBV, which will eventually be implemented at all universities across South Africa.

CPUT is among the institutions who decided to take a stand against GB and an Institutional Position Statement on gender-based violence has been drafted.

The university’s new GBV policy should be launched in August.

The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences has been proactive in starting to align staff members with the policy through a series of seminars that seek to unpack the interventions that have been or could be used to reduce gender-based violence in a particular health profession.

The seminars consider interventions that promote gender equality and that challenge accepted cultural norms that endorse violence against women and girls. It may include descriptions of how interventions have been implemented and evaluated in a variety of social contexts, including schools and community structures, and how these might be replicated and/or modified for use in a health profession. NGO partnerships provide the civil society responses of crisis intervention, advocacy and community of practice. The methodological rigour is supported by McMaster University’s National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (Canada).

 “If we acknowledge that one in three women will be victims of abuse in their lifetime then the implication is that one in three female students or staff members may possibly be victims and reciprocally, that one in three males may be perpetrators,” says Dr Navindhra Naidoo, acting head of the Emergency Medical Sciences Department and one of several collaborators on the draft policy.

“We are putting the issue on our professional agendas. We are looking at what is our science, what is our agenda, what are the tools of our trade and how can we use the ‘tools’ of our proverbial ‘trade’ to be inclusive of gender-based violence.”

Prof Penelope Engel-Hills, Acting Dean of the Faculty, said the faculty was taking a critical look at how and whether the issue of GBV was being dealt with in the classroom and in the curriculum.

“We know that at least ten percent of reported rapes occur in Higher Education Institutions. We really feel that if we get our lecturers and researchers talking about this, together with our support staff, we can influence what happens at CPUT.”

 Naidoo said the issue of GBV affected all three of the university’s pillars of teaching and learning, research and community engagement.

“In terms of teaching and learning, if students are intimidated or in constant fear they cannot meaningfully study. Being free of violence is a social determinant of one's education. We need to ensure that we provide a safe environment to promote and protect one’s health and education rights.”

He said much of CPUT’s research did not deal with the socio-political context of violence.

“We need to get our respective professions more connected to our students’ lived realities.”

Naidoo said our campuses were not protected from and our processes not protective of the escalating frequency and brutality of GBV.

“…that’s why we need to do community engagement activities. We need to take the issue back to the community and say we as researchers have looked at this issue and we have the following policy recommendations so we can start influencing change. That’s how CPUT becomes an agent of change rather than a place where victims (and perpetrators) are ‘born’.”

Engel-Hills concurred: “Our research and our identity as being educators should work together and it must bring a positive influence in our communities”.

To read more about the policy, please click here: https://www.cput.ac.za/newsroom/news/article/3535/cput-takes-stand-against-gender-based-violence

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT has upped the ante in its fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

In June the institutions’ Executive Management were trained on their responsibilities in handling GBV, now the rest of the CPUT community is in line to receive similar training.

The training roll-out puts CPUT at the forefront of the higher education sector’s response to this societal scourge.

This is because CPUT is the first university to internalise and institutionalise the fight against GBV via its dedicated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Committee, which is chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo.

The high-level institutional GBV committee is comprised of delegates from the SRC and Management and aims to ensure accountability, coordination, and leadership of the GBV Policy for Higher Education.

Nonkosi Tyolwana, Director for Institutional Transformation, Social Cohesion and Diversity, says the GBV training will be cascaded through the university committee in the coming few months.

“The training will explore how gender identities are defined in our formative years, and how this resonates in a 21st century context,” says Tyolwana.

“This becomes critical conversations to have with a higher education context when you have young people from all walks of life intermingling for the first time in their lives. We also need to remain aware of the natural power imbalances that can form within a university context. If we arm our students and staff to be conscious of this then they can avoid GBV pitfalls.”

CPUT’s GBV training and the response have been crafted in response to the Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority.

Written by CPUT News
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In their quest to eradicate gender-based violence (GBV) and start conversations on educating CPUT men to be able to have a gender-equal campus, the Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and  Social Change in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor recently hosted a workshop at the Bellville Campus.

The workshop followed the inauguration of the Vice-Chancellor’s Think Tank for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Task Team in March this year.  The Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Change in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor saw a need to have ambassadors who will be directly involved in GBV campaigns and interventions across all CPUT campuses to promote a campus free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination,  is diverse, equitable, inclusive and where difference is valued and celebrated.

The Centre’s Diversity and Inclusivity Assistant, Tumiso Mfisa, coordinated the workshop. This included the training for the first cohort, which targeted students and facilitated the orientation of the ambassadors. The CSRC president, Nanga Codana, shared a message of support with the ambassadors, highlighting the significance of men’s immediate response to GBV. The three sessions addressed issues such as how the ambassadors can conceptualise GBV in South Africa and how men can play their role in eradicating GBV on and off campus.

The participants also went in-depth on the practicality of GBV interventions on and off-campus, where the facilitator spoke on community engagement and interventions, which work primarily on awareness-raising on and off-campus, and how important it is to mobilise men in such programmes and educated the ambassadors on how to win over society in partaking in any intervention. 

There were also team-building exercises and discussions on various qualities the ambassadors need to ensure success in implementing the GBV programmes and men’s development interventions. 

Mfisa highlighted the overall picture of what the ambassadors should be like, which included them being transformed to transform others and that “together we can forge gender equality the second cohort will follow and will involve CPUT Staff members”.  “A follow-up session will involve more students and staff in GBV interventions and campaigns. Collectively, we can all #BreakTheBias and end GBV if we work together and not in isolation, ‘gender equality is everyone’s responsibility to enhance oneness and smartness,’” he said.

Ambassador Kwena Etmond Mapumo, a Diploma in Analytical Chemistry student, said:  “It was a very thought-provoking session we had, and I’d like to see more engagements and for us to be the change we wish to see in making a safe space for all.”

Another ambassador, Lance Sibuyi, a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering student, said: “Indeed, it was an awesome session. [I] learned a lot, which upscaled my perspective and knowledge on various issues about gender-based violence.  Thank you, team, for the awesome workshop!”

For more information, contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Meet our ambassadors by opening the link below: https://ieyegallery.pic-time.com/avm046TH

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Her incredible story of survival and courage has captured the hearts of South Africans for almost 30 years.

And recently well-known author and motivational speaker Alison Botha, who was raped, stabbed and left for dead in 1994, shared her story of overcoming unimaginable challenges with female staff members in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.

The theme of the event, which was held at the end of Women’s month, was Embracing Empowerment: Your response shapes your story.

Guests were welcomed by Prof Veruscha Fester, Assistant Dean: Research, Technology, Innovation & Partnerships who thanked Dr Bronwyn Swartz and her team for organising the event.

Attendees were left inspired by a touching talk titled Women of Worth by retired academic Dr Hilda Vember, who retired from CPUT ’s Nursing Department in 2020.

Botha then took the audience on a journey of the night in December 1994, which changed her life forever.

She had parked her unlocked car in front of her Port Elizabeth home when she was approached by a knife-wielding man who ordered her to move into the passenger seat. He drove off with her and then picked up his accomplice before taking her to the bushes on the outskirts of the city where she was viciously assaulted, raped and left for dead.

She miraculously survived and over the years has shared her story with audiences across the county and the globe.

The book I Have Life, Alison’s Journey, tells her story and how she refused to become a victim.

The documentary ’Alison’ was also released in 2016 and all attendees were gifted with a copy of the book.

Botha said it had been healing for her to share her story with others.

“I believe that you don’t have to go through what I went through to learn some of the lessons that I learnt and if I can share those lessons then in equivalent, on a scale, the good can outweigh the bad.”

She shared what she calls her ABC with the audience.

“When we are in a situation that is out of our control we are always going to be in control of our attitude, our belief and our choices that we make in that situation.”

“You are capable of so much. You are also in control of the choices you make. Don’t blame other people. When you blame other people for how you are feeling you give them the power. If you are able to take responsibility for how you are feeling, you take your power back.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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Accelerating Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality was at the centre of a recent Women’s Month commemoration at CPUT, which also celebrated “SmartCPUTWomen”.

The event, one of many Women’s Month celebrations that will be held at CPUT this August, was presented by the Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Change, in collaboration with Human Capital and the Advancement Department.

In her welcoming address, Prof Driekie Hay-Swemmer, Executive Director in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, said that beyond serving as a commemorative event, “days like today should also serve as an occasion for introspection into the progress made since the march of 1956”.

Hay-Swemmer said while progress in terms of empowerment and gender equality had been made in some realms, there was still a journey ahead to eradicate gender-based violence (GBV), to ensure that women receive fair compensation in the workplace and are recognised and acknowledged in all facets of society.

“Though women in Africa are often the backbone of their families and communities, they still face systemic barriers that hinder economic participation, from unequal pay to limited access to resources.”

She said: “We must strive for a world where every woman can live free from fear and can pursue their dreams without hindrance.

“My prayer for all of us is to stand in solidarity, supporting initiatives that empower women, advocating for policies that promote gender equality, review them, time and time, asking ourselves: are these policies doing what they should be doing?”

Brightness Mangolothi, Director of HERS-SA spoke, on the topic of coaching and mentoring as a tool for empowerment.

Mangolothi said coaching and mentorship inspire inclusion and belonging.

“If we can catch that we will take our institution to greater heights. We need more coaching and mentorship intervention that factors an intersectional lens.”

Vuyokazi Dwane, Senior Director: Human Capital, spoke on the topic of A Culture of Inclusiveness for Neurodivergent Women, while Sixolile Ngcobo, Director: National Strategic Plan - Gender Based Violence and Femicide Localisation Lab, spoke about Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Higher Education.

Dean of Students, Nonkosi Tyolwana said GBV is one of the critical issues that impede the progress of women.

Tyolwana presented the findings of the Report of the Ministerial Task Team on Matters of Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Violence and Harm in South African Universities.

Other speakers included Xoli Fuyani, Director: Black Girls Rising, Lynn Hendricks from the Advancement Office and the Bellville Local SRC’s Anelisa Frieste.

The event also presented opportunities for engagement, a session on finance, presented by Sanlam. as well as fun activities.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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Representatives from the university’s residences recently attended a thought-provoking workshop where the Report of the Ministerial Task Team (MTT) appointed to advise the Minster of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on Matters of Sexual Matters and Gender-Based Violence and Harm in South African Universities was unpacked.

Melanie Swanson, Head of the HIV/Aids Unit, said the objective was to get residence students and staff, including owned and leased residences, together in one room and to give Higher Health the opportunity to present the key aspects from the report that are important to CPUT.

“It is also to look at a range of protocols, for example, the protocols on students and staff relationships, protocols on safer residences and so on, and also to look at the processes we have in place.”

The MTT was appointed in 2019 and the report was released earlier this year.

The MTT, with the support of the Department of Higher Education and Training, conducted a comprehensive analysis of policy and processes in place at all public universities, with a view to advise on policy gaps and minimum standards for policy, processes and support systems in place to manage and prevent gender-based violence within the higher education system. Stakeholder engagements were also held.

The workshop presented by legal practitioner Erica Emdon focused on the MTT’s eight recommendations and the Policy Framework to address Gender-based Violence in the Post-School Education and Training System, among other things.

The robust conversation included discussions around consent, the role played by alcohol, and the reporting process, among other topics.

Swanson said more sessions would be held with a view towards implementation.

Written by Ilse Fredericks  
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