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13 November 2018
Photo Moeketsi Mogotsi
Kovsies took an active stance against sexual and gender-based violence through various campaigns in October.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that South Africa will launch a national strategic plan to tackle gender-based violence (GBV) after years of lobbying by activists. Speaking at the Presidential GBV Summit, the head of state commended activists who called for a nationwide shut down in August in response to high levels of GBV and femicide in the country. He says the government is now reviewing national GBV plans and will develop a national action plan.
Activism at the UFS
One of the efforts launched by the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Gender and Sexual Equity (GSE) Office in the fight against this plague is the # RESPECTME campaign. From 11 to 26 October 2018, the university held its own 16 Days of Activism.
Geraldine Lengau of the GSE Office believes that minority groups deserve the same amount of respect as all other citizens of this country, which is the core concept of the campaign. “The Campaign is a loudhailer to say, ‘just because I am different from you’, be it gender or sexuality, it doesn’t mean that I deserve any less respect,” she highlighted.
Lengau added: “Activism will forever remain important on our campuses as it creates an environment where the community is made aware of matters that would otherwise not have mattered had they not been publicised. Also activism becomes all the more important in advancing the university’s strategic plan.”
Policies advocating against GBV
As stipulated in the UFS Sexual Harassment, Misconduct and Sexual Violence Policy the university strongly believes in the principle of human dignity that is entrenched in the Constitution of South Africa (1996) which resolves to ensure a safe working and study environment for students.
Student Affairs also led a campaign which aimed to highlight the ongoing scourge of sexual and gender-based violence, in line with the policy. “The university is working relentlessly at endorsing the aspects and characteristic traits of respect amongst all of its stakeholders in an effort to reduce the notion of gender-based violence,” said the Dean of Student Affairs, Pura Mgolombane.
ULM staff attend MIDP symposium in Belgium
2009-10-14
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Staff members of the Unit for Language Management (ULM) at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently returned from the second international MIDP symposium, “Multilingualism from below”, which was held at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. The symposium arose from a co-operation project between the Province of Antwerp (also the sponsos of the project), the Free State Province and the UFS.
In terms of this agreement, assistance is provided to the Free State Province with regard to the development and consolidation of institutional multilingualism. Research concerning aspects of multilingualism arises from this focus. Such research has been undertaken within the area where the UFS’s KhulaXhariep Project is being conducted since 2008. Three of the papers that were delivered at the congress covered aspects of multilingualism from below, as encountered in the Xhariep. Other papers delivered by members of the ULM focused on problematic aspects of language-related issues in South Africa.
Ms Chrismi-Rinda Kotzé, research assistant and MA student at the ULM, was the recipient of an award for the best lecture delivered by a pre-doctoral student at an MIDP symposium. She shares the prize with Cécile Petitjean. A total of 8 of the 35 lectures at the symposium were delivered by pre-doctoral students from various countries. Ms Kotzé was the only South African student at the symposium. Pictured are the delegates who attended the symposium.
Photo: Supplied |