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09 March 2020 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Sonia Small
Human Rights
Human Rights Month is a time to reflect on the past and celebrate the present.
On 21 March 2020, South Africa will celebrate Human Rights Day. The day has a specific meaning, as it commemorates the Sharpeville massacre which took place on 21 March 1960 in Sharpeville in the Vaal. After the community demonstrated against the pass laws, about 7,000 protesters went to the local police station where the South African Police opened fire on the crowd, killing 69 people and injuring 180.
 
The past, although dark and tragic, holds the power to propel a nation forward. Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof Francis Petersen, said: “In remembering this day, we have the opportunity to reflect on progress in the promotion and protection of human rights in South Africa.”
 
Prof Petersen expressed pride in the great strides made at the UFS in this regard and which are cause for celebration. “As a university community, let us join the rest of the country this month and celebrate the rights of all people to be protected from violation, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, etc. Let us observe this day and stand together to promote respect for human rights,” he said.

Policies with a purpose
UFS is guided by principles of non-discrimination and values which seek to uphold the rights of all humans as stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Staff, students, and the general public enjoy the protection and dignity with policies such as Anti-Discrimination, Promotion of Equality and Social Justice Policy, the Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence Policy, the Social Support Policy, as well as the Student Pregnancy Policy.

The objective of the Anti-Discrimination, Promotion of Equality, and Social Justice Policy is to clarify, deepen and promote an understanding of equality, social justice and unfair discrimination among the university community. In addition to other aims, it seeks to identify and promote an understanding of barriers to equality, as well as the various forms and practices of unfair discrimination that may occur. Preventing and eradicating such practices, identifying bullying practices within the various vertical and horizontal relationships at the university, is the policy’s ultimate mandate.

In a country plagued by gender-based violence and related crimes, the Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence Policy becomes all the more significant. The policy’s purpose includes establishing a safe and enabling environment, free from sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and sexual violence, for all UFS community members. Support for victims and putting disciplinary procedures for perpetrators in place is a high priority within the policy. 

Human Rights are of utmost importance for a transforming institution such as ours. Hence, the Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS) recently released the Social Support Policy Draft for public input. Its overarching goal is to establish an institutional climate and conditions that enable the UFS to retain its students and improve their chances of success by providing appropriate social support. 
 
As far as the Student Pregnancy Policy is concerned, creating conditions that are conducive for academic success and wellbeing during pregnancy is one of the ways in which the university upholds the human rights of mothers-to-be. The policy also ensures that pregnant students are not excluded from academic programmes, residences and other university activities.



News Archive

“You cannot find Ubuntu in a culture of dominance” – Dr Mamphela Ramphele during second Leah Tutu Gender Symposium
2015-02-28

 

From the left are: Samantha van Schalkwyk, Zanele Mbeki, Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela and Dr Mamphela Ramphele.
Photo: Johan Roux

 

Video message from Mrs Leah Tutu

Session 1: Keynote address by Dr Mamphela Ramphele
Ndiyindoda! Yes, you are a man 

Session 2: Professor Robert Morrell from the University of Cape Town
South African Gender Studies: Setting the context

Session 3: How can we engage young men to act against violence against women?
Panel discussion by Lisa Vetten (Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research), Despina Learmonth (Psychology Department, University of Cape Town) and Wessel van den Berg (Sonke Gender Justice) 

Session 4: Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
Self-defence as a strategy for women’s resistance: Reflections on the work of Susan Brison
 

Engaging men to act against gender-based violence in the Southern African context.

This was the theme of the second International Leah Tutu Symposium, hosted by the Gender Initiative of Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation Studies of the University of the Free State (UFS) on Tuesday 24 February 2015.

What does it mean to be man? How can men become active in the fight against gender-based violence? And when does one say: enough is enough? Questions like these set the tone as highly-respected individuals such as Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Prof Rob Morrell, Lisa Vetten and Andy Kawa took to the stage in the Odeion on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Leah Tutu
Unfortunately, Mrs Leah Tutu could not attend this year’s event, but she still managed to send sparks of wit and insight into the auditorium. In her video message, Mrs Tutu referred to the fact that our country has “consigned discriminatory legislation to the rubbish bin of the past”, but we continue to inhabit a divided society.

“We have a constitution and bill of rights that should have sounded the death knell for patriarchy. But women are unsafe across the land,” Mrs Tutu said. “Our freedom cost too much to be left out in the rain,” she urged.

Ndiyindoda! Yes, you are a man
In Dr Ramphele’s keynote address, “Ndiyindoda! Yes, you are a man”, she scrutinised the dominant masculinity model that has supported an alpha-male mentality for millennia. A mentality that celebrates dominance, power and control – where the winner takes it all. How then, can we expect our young boys to embrace the value system of a human rights culture?

“Gender equality is at the heart of our constitutional democratic values. Yet, our society continues to privilege and celebrate the alpha male as a masculinity model,” Dr Ramphele said. This dissonance can only produce conflict and violence.

We encourage our young men to be gentle, communicative, caring people who show their emotions. And when they do, what do we as women do? Do we encourage them?

“Or do we join those who call them wimps, moffies, sissies? How do we respond when they are ridiculed?” Dr Ramphele asked. Are we, as mothers, fathers and grandparents willing to socialise our children to acknowledge a diversity of masculinities as equally valid in our society?

The new man and the new woman of the 21st century need to be liberated from the conflict-ridden dominant masculinity model. They need to be able to shape their identity in line with a value system of human rights as enshrined in our constitution.

Perhaps Dr Ramphele’s message could be summed up by one sentence: You cannot find Ubuntu in a culture of dominance.

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