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16 Days of Activism in Lockdown

25 November 2020 Photo Anja Aucamp

Prof Colin Chasi outside Centenary Complex (Anja Aucamp) — Prof Colin Chasi is the Director of the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice at the UFS.

The 2020 programme around the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence will be novel in that it will be run online. “For each person to register and log into the various programmes is a small step. But each such step makes a big difference by saying that the lives of survivors matter and by underscoring that gender-based violence will not be tolerated at the UFS,” says Prof Colin Chasi, Director of the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice (UICSJ) at the UFS.

Women and girl children have experienced increased violence in the time of the COVID-19 lockdown, states the UN Secretary General's report, Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. In South Africa, there have been reports of a scourge of rape in the post-school education and training sector. At the UFS, these developments have challenged the Gender Equity and Anti-Discrimination Office (GEADO) to come up with innovative online interventions.

In 2019, the University of the Free State (UFS) established the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice (formerly known as the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice, founded in 2009). The GEADO was launched on 8 April 2019 and was incorporated into the unit to run a cross-functional Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and to organise programmes that combat gender-based violence and other forms of gender injustice.

“We have been able to offer our services with minimal disruption throughout the year,” says Geraldine Lengau, a Bloemfontein Campus-based GEADO officer.

“Most exciting for us is that we have taken the lockdown as an opportunity to expand the scope of ways in which we engage with students and communities,” notes Chelepe Mocwana, a GEADO officer on the South Campus. “GEADO has offered a number of online webinars and seminars, and the university has made telephonic services available that support, for example, the mental health of survivors of sexual violence.”

“On the Qwaqwa Campus, where we still have some problems with consistent access to data networks, we were pleased to see that our webinars have been well-subscribed to by students and staff members,” reports Siya Magayana, who is the GEADO officer on this campus.

“Each such step makes a big difference by saying that the
lives of survivors matter and by underscoring that
gender-based violence will not be tolerated at the UFS.”
—Prof Colin Chasi, Director of the UICSJ.

Since 1991, activists around the world have annually coordinated activities around the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The 16 days of activism begin on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and run until 10 December, which is International Human Rights Day. The start and end dates signify that the fight to eliminate violence against women advances human rights for all.

Activities to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence will be advertised on various UFS communication platforms.

News Archive

Kovsies well represented in Cheetah rugby team

2006-10-10

Champions support champions. Sport stars from the University of the Free State (UFS) today pledged their support to the Cheetah team with their participation this weekend in the Currie Cup final. From the left are: Boy Soke (SA Cross Country Champion), Nicolaas le Roux (captain of the Shimla rugby team), prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor), Ben Rheeder (Shimla hooker) and Charlene Hertzog (Captain of the Protea team and the UFS first netball team).

Kovsies well represented in Cheetah rugby team

Altogether 10 current and former Kovsies will most likely be included in the Cheetah team of 22 players that will compete for a place in the team that will play against the Blue Bulls on Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein in the final game of the Currie Cup.

“The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud of its rugby players and sees this milestone as another example of our commitment to maintaining quality sports performances,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Prof Fourie said the UFS will stand solidly behind the Cheetahs this weekend so that the Currie Cup can stay in the Free State.

“It is not every day that we can boast with such a high representation in a provincial team. Each of these players has proven himself to be a true sportsman and some of them are also Springbok rugby players. This makes the honour even greater for the UFS,” said Prof Fourie.

The current and former Kovsies are Ollie le Roux (captain and loose head prop), Wian du Preez (loose head prop), Richardt Strauss (hooker), Jannie du Plessis (tight head prop), Noël Oelschig (scrumhalf), Michael Claassens (scrumhalf), Meyer Bosman (flyhalf), JW Jonker (center, back line), Philip Burger (flyhalf/back) and Jaco du Toit (hooker).
“Last year we honored two former Kovsies for their contribution to the success of the Cheetah team. Mr Naka Drotské, team manager of the Cheetahs, was appointed as Kovsie of the Year and Mr Harold Verster, President of the Free State Rugby Union, received the Cum Laude Award,” said Prof Fourie.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
12 October 2006

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