UKZN Students March to Raise Gender-Based Violence Awareness

UKZN Students March to Raise Gender-Based Violence Awareness

UKZN students staged a march in the busy Umbilo Road just outside the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine and also on the Howard College campus in Durban to raise awareness about and encourage people to speak out against gender-based violence (GBV).

The students said they believed GBV was highly prevalent in the area and that many people were scared and felt stigmatised talking about it.

They carried placards bearing various anti-GBV messages including: UKZN UNITES AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE and UKZN HAS ZERO TOLERANCE FOR GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE.

There was also a moment of silence for GBV victims.

Medical Student Representative Council President Mr Mmiselo Gibixhego said it was important for the student body to show solidarity against the social ill of GBV. ‘Since the beginning of this year, we have experienced a lot of GBV and sexual assault cases on and around UKZN campuses. The awareness against GBV must start with us as students; we should not expect the University to act while we stand back because it is us the students who are often the victims.’

Gibixhego said the aim of the march had been to support and stand in solidarity with victims of GBV and sexual assault. ‘We wanted to put out a message mainly to men that “No means No” – violence is never a solution in any argument. We have a duty to protect women in this country and we will do just that. We appreciate the assistance from the University in making the march a success and we also are thankful to students who took part.’

Leader of the Howard College march, SRC Secretary Ms Nonduduzo Bantwini, said it aimed to challenge social norms that perpetuate violence in society and address some of the root causes of GBV, stemming from gender inequality, toxic masculinity, and prevalent social issues that the University community, as a microcosm of society, was not immune to. ‘Through this march, we aimed to raise awareness and educate the UKZN community to combat this crisis,’ she said.

Bantwini encouraged students to report cases of GBV and to identify perpetrators to put an end to such incidents.

The march follows UKZN’s GBV Awareness Campaign, which resulted in the establishment of a specialised Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) Investigations Unit and plans to launch the Social Justice Educational Module, which will be mandatory for all first-year students.

The newly established SGBV Investigations Unit prioritises maintaining the confidentiality of cases and ensuring the prevention of secondary victimisation of SGBV victims. Operating from 8am to 4pm on weekdays. The Unit is currently based on the Howard College campus and has two investigators who are also available on standby for emergencies. GBV Support Officers are accessible on all campuses in the RMS control room during every shift.

UKZN has GBV offices on all campuses.

SGBV Investigators’ Contact Numbers:
Mrs Zinhle Ngcobo: 031 260 7964/ 076 840 3364
Mrs Delisile Saunders: 031 260 1158/ 060 623 6601

Words: Lunga Innocent Memela and Hlengiwe Precious Khwela

Photographs: Sethu Dlamini and supplied