OPINION | To deal effectively with GBV, universities must prioritise student safety over institutional reputations

When 26-year-old Cape Peninsula University of Technology student, Sinoxolo Myalo, was stabbed outside her off-campus student residence in November 2023, the SA Union of Students called for more proactive measures to be taken to ensure the safety of students.

It’s been widely reported, for decades, that SA has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the world. Just over half of South African women say they’ve experienced GBVF, with 76% of men saying they’ve  perpetrated GBVF at some stage in their lives.

Since higher education institutions are a microcosm of the wider society in which they operate, it’s to be expected that GBVF – which can include physical, sexual, economic, material, psychological and online forms of violence, violations and abuse – is prevalent in student life.

Shocking statistics bear this out:

• A 2022 study at four Eastern Cape universities found that 57,8% of female students had experienced some form of GBVF on campus within two to three years of their studies;

• A survey of students about the quality of their life in residence at Rhodes University between 2010 and 2013 found that 12-13% of them felt unsafe walking around campus at night – and in that cohort four times more female than male students indicated they felt unsafe; and.

• In 2022, the then higher education and training minister Blade Nzimande stated that 10% of all reported rape cases in SA originated from young women in the higher education sector.

Younger women at higher education institutions are often at an increased risk of GBVF overall. The student age group, usually from 18 to 23 years falls within the peak period for both perpetration and victimisation of violence, according to Rhodes University.

Likely, these statistics don’t represent the whole picture. GBV – defined as violence directed at an individual based on biological sex, gender identity or social gender norms – is known to be under-reported worldwide. Victims face many barriers to reporting, including fear of retaliation, stigma and lack of trust in the system.

Victims may fear retaliation from the perpetrator. For instance, male lecturers who use threats of academic failure to coerce female students into sexual acts. Then there’s anxiety about negative social judgment from family, friends and the community.

Victims may also lack confidence in the institution to deal with the issue effectively and discreetly. Barriers may include a lack of support and follow-up, ineffective procedures, complicated reporting mechanisms and unclear policies. It's also possible that students think their universities or colleges will prioritise their reputation over addressing GBVF head-on.

In a searing indictment of life in SA, it may simply be that incidents of violence that are not overt or considered violent enough will not be reported, because they are part of the normalised and pervasive discrimination experienced daily by women and girls, and by members of the LGBTI+ community.

How has GBV become so endemic that victims feel they cannot report it to authorities – whether those are the police or their institution’s administration?

GBVF should be taken seriously, starting with understanding the underlying causes. Factors like prior victimisation, substance abuse, lack of awareness and education, patriarchal culture and gender inequality interact with SA's historical legacy of apartheid, poverty, unemployment and weak law enforcement, ultimately resulting in a toxic environment.

The department of higher education and training’s Policy Framework to Address Gender-Based Violence in the Post-School Education and Training System rightly says GBVF must be consistently condemned, perpetrators need to be prosecuted and societal issues need to be addressed.

While we support the government’s strategies on this issue, we think that higher learning institutions can be proactive. Leadership at these institutions can start by addressing campus norms, policies, reporting and response mechanisms. In a nutshell, prioritising student safety over institutional reputations is essential.

Practically, institutions should also look at the design of campus spaces and address practical but helpful adjustments such as poor lighting, inadequate security and isolated areas that increase the vulnerability of women and other marginalised groups.

Our student code of conduct and discipline policy says an act of GBVF – on or off campus – is inconsistent with the IIE Rosebank College’s core values of respect, accountability and integrity. Such acts are treated as misconduct or criminal offences. We also offer student support services, including confidential counselling.

We call on all higher education institutions to make their campuses safe spaces for all their students – only then can true learning take place.

• Dr Meyer is the MD at IIE Rosebank College