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UFS athletes unite against GBV

07 August 2020 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Varsity Sports

Shindre Lee_read more — Shindré-Lee Simmons, Kovsies’ women’s hockey captain, has represented South Africa at U21 level and has been playing for the UFS for five years.

It is time to unite and stand up against gender-based violence (GBV) to address and eradicate this scourge in society. This is the strong message from female athletes of the University of the Free State (UFS) in a month where the focus will be on women. As South Africa commemorates Women’s Day on 9 August 2020, the UFS shines a spotlight on women, calling on all South Africans to challenge, fight, and eradicate all forms of gender-based violence.

Speaking out against GBV, UFS sport stars Sne Mdletshe, Lynique Beneke, Shindré-Lee Simmons, Kesa Molotsane, Casey-Jean Botha, Lefébre Rademan, and Noxolo Magudu have partnered with KovsieSport in condemning any form of violence against women. They added their voices to a video campaign aimed at raising awareness of violence against women. The campaign involves athletes, coaches, administrators, and alumni, and consists of a series of videos that will be featured on UFS platforms.

Increasing impact

Mdletshe, Kovsies’ netball captain, is one of the sports stars featured in the first video of the series. She says it is crucial to address GBV. “We need to tackle it head on, because we cannot carry on like this.”

UFS Olympic long jumper, Lynique Beneke, says GBV needs attention, as it will only get worse if not addressed seriously. “This has been breeding for decades, where it’s acceptable or often justified.

_{Kovsie long jumper, Lynique Beneke, is in the South African}_{Olympic squad and
will be in contention to take part in her}_{second Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.}
_Photo:_{Hannes Naude}

Shindré-Lee Simmons, Kovsies’ women’s hockey captain, says it is important to be frank about GBV in South Africa, “as its prevalence has had an increasing impact on families and the country”

Influence of sport

Godfrey Tenoff, Head of the KovsieSport GBV campaign, says the video campaign will be a continuous project for Kovsiesport, as GBV is a threat to everyone, including UFS sportsmen and sportswomen. “This is specifically crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sport will be an integral part of our strategy to highlight and eventually eradicate gender-based violence."

Unique platform

Simmons says it is crucial for sports stars to use the platform they have to address the issue and educate others.

“We as athletes have the platform to speak up and people will listen,” says Mdletshe.

_{Sne Mdletshe, KovsieSport Junior Sportswoman of 2019, was}_{appointed captain of the
Kovsies netball team in 2020. S}_{he is also the captain of the Baby Proteas.}
_{Photo: Varsity Sports}

According to Beneke, sport can promote change. “We are uniquely positioned to support and model healthy relationships, values, and norms that can reduce and end gender-based violence.

Watch the first video, called ‘Enough’, as part of the KovsieSport campaign against GBV.

News Archive

Female-headed households more prone to economic strains due to rainfall variations

2016-02-02

Description: Martin Flatø Tags: Martin Flatø

Martin Flatø
Photo: University of Oslo press

Research shows that a total of 41 % of South African (SA) households are led by women, and these households are twice as likely to be poor compared to other households.

Martin Flatø spent three months at University of the Free State (UFS), researching how female-headed households in our country are affected by variations in rainfall, which cause crop failures with their implications for rural economies.

He is a PhD student from the University of Oslo in Norway who was part of the 2014/15 Southern African Young Scientists Summer Programme (SA-YSSP) that was hosted by the UFS last year.

Flatø formed part of a group of international scholars who conducted research on how families led by females are affected by climate change. The group focused on the implications of the weather on crop failures and rural economies. Gender and household structures were studied to determine ways in which they are affected by economic fluctuations.

The research group’s preliminary findings indicate that female-headed households are more vulnerable to rainfall variation than households where there are adult residents or workers of both genders.

In view of the current water shortage in the Free State, as well as scientists’ projections that our country will be among the regions hardest hit by climate change in terms of a surge in temperature, Flatø’s collaborative research has substantial relevance.|

Grooming first class scientists
The SA-YSSP is a joint initiative of South African National Research Foundation and the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). Its main aim is tackling challenges faced by the world at large and South Africa in particular.

Out of 24 PhD students from 18 countries and various academic disciplines, Flatø emerged as one of only three scholars to be awarded the Systems Analysis Scholarships for his outstanding science at the end of the programme.

World class mentorship
Prof André Pelser and Dr Raya Muttarak were Flatø’s SA-YSSP supervisors. Prof Pelser, of the UFS Department of Sociology, is a leading academic on population processes, and how they relate to local environmental issues in South Africa. Dr Muttarak is a research scholar at IIASA in Austria.

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