24 May 2022
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Story Leonie Bolleurs
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Photo Leonie Bolleurs
A group of staff and students joined a silent protest march on the South Campus, followed by a dialogue discussion, to spread awareness about the effects of bullying and harassment on transgender and gender-diverse students.
On the African continent, South Africa is considered one of the most progressive countries in terms of advancing the rights of sexual and gender minorities. According to
Chelepe Mocwana, who is serving as the Senior Gender Officer in the
Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office (GEADO) within the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice (UICSJ) on the South Campus, South Africa’s Constitution is the first in the world to prohibit unfair discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
He, however, believes that after more than two decades of democracy, it does not appear to have sufficiently infiltrated people’s minds that “we are all different in our unique ways”. “Transgender and gender-diverse persons continue to face challenges in their communities, institutions of higher learning, and workplaces, and are particularly vulnerable to life-threatening marginalisation, oppression, violence, and exclusion from society,” says Mocwana.
Everyone’s voice and story must be heard
On 17 May 2022, a group of close to 50 staff members and students joined a silent protest march on the South Campus, followed by a dialogue discussion, to spread awareness about the effects of bullying and harassment on transgender and gender-diverse students.
“The silent march and the dialogue served as an activism reminder to all that everyone’s voice matters. People are being attacked, killed, discriminated against, ostracised in different spheres of society, and denied equal opportunities because of who they are and who they love. This remains one of the many reasons why collective action should be prioritised in bringing to light the injustice transgender and gender-diverse individuals experience,” he says.
Speaking at the dialogue event, Nompumelelo Motaung, peer educator in the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office (GEADO), confirms that there is a lack of education about gender-diverse people. She believes education will enlighten people and it will help them to treat others with respect.
Today, Motaung is making a difference in the lives of her peers. As she gives voice to her beliefs, other students who would have kept quiet start speaking out on the matter.
Create a culture of diversity and inclusion
Also talking at the dialogue, was Lereko Miayn from
Free State Rainbow Seeds, an organisation committed to improving the quality of public health-care services, with a special focus on HIV. “We should break the silence and stop keeping quiet about gender-based violence. There are organisations that can provide help with, among others, counselling and psychological support,” he says.
At the end of the day, according to Mocwana, the main objective is to create a culture of diversity and inclusion and to provide a university environment in which everyone feels safe, welcome, and equal. “This event is about promoting the equality, self-affirmation, and visibility of transgender and gender-diverse people by creating a community and safe space for people to be who they are.”