Commission for Gender Equality slams university’s sexual harassment policy

The use of politically incorrect language in the sexual harassment policy of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University has raised an alarm with the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE). 

The CGE is investigating gender transformation at tertiary institutions to monitor progress and assess internal policies, systems and equality programmes and the effectiveness of their strategies.

Commissioner advocate Thando Gumede on Tuesday said there was “copy and paste” with regards to how the university framed its sexual harassment policy. She said the policy is not nuanced as there were terms like “sexual favouritism”.

“I struggle to see how any feminist or human rights lawyer would agree to some of the things written in this policy. There are phrases that have the potential to create perpetual stereotypes on how women ascend to positions of power.

“Sexual favouritism is when a person in a position of power rewards only those who respond to his or her sexual advances, while others who do not respond are denied opportunities. We have to critically analyse the use of language as it seems to speak about someone who is likely to be a woman and slept her way to the top. It blames the victim. It’s very dehumanising and demeaning,” said Gumede.

Dr Dennis Matotoka, CEO of the commission, probed the allocation of systems of support for employees who are mothers and breastfeeding.

“We must not deny women the opportunity to rise because they have an extra responsibility. Some of them struggle to balance work and personal life. You must come up with innovative ways to accommodate them,” said Matotoka.

He was also concerned about the framing of how victims of sexual harassment are accommodated in the framework but not those who may be at risk of false accusations.

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