Prof Nalini Moodley-Diar.
In creating the Task Team, Prof Nalini Moodley-Diar, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design, who was appointed as the Chairperson of the Task Team, indicated that she remained “concerned about the prevalence of sexual harassment and gender-based harm in our public universities and believed that there is a great deal of work that must be done to improve understanding of the situation at our University. We have a moral duty to share good practices, advise on policy frameworks, ensure we offer support for staff and students; and develop other mechanisms to reduce sexual harassment and gender-based harm at TUT.”
“Achieving gender equity in South African universities will only be a pipe dream if we do not address the deeply rooted patriarchal culture that gives rise to acts of sexual harassment that has a serious effect on the lives and experiences of students and staff at universities. If we do not pay close attention to the proper implementation and oversight of institutional sexual harassment policies and procedures, we will not manage this scourge. The work that we need to do to transform academic spaces in this country is urgent and demands a shared effort from Management, all staff members, students and to a larger extent, the Government, industry and communities,” said Prof Moodley-Diar.
Other Task Team members comprise of Prof R. Maharajh, Prof J.T. Mofokeng, Dr N. Tlale, Dr C. Selepe, Dr S. Dockrat, L Fakude (LSRC ETO: Ga-Rankuwa Campus); and a representative of the Registrar’s Environment.
Several matters will have to be addressed by the Task Team around innovative ideas to educate, and develop systems of accountability, safety and responsible citizenship in South Africa. Some matters to be considered when the Task Team meets for the first time include:
- Developing GBV awareness on campuses through formal and informal conversations;
- Developing advocacy programs for all students;
- Reviewing the judicial processes of managing and enforcing consequences against perpetrators of GBV;
- Developing training programmes for student leaders around the management of GBV; and
- Establishing an office dedicated to managing matters of GBV and related issues.