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Tackling gender inequality and discrimination

31 July 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba

The Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office (GEADO) is an integral part of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice. Its primary focus is to create a safe and inclusive environment for students and staff. The office plays a crucial role in shaping the student experience and in fostering inclusivity in student accommodation and residence environments.

The GEADO takes proactive steps to achieve this, including implementing guidelines and policies to address and prevent gender-based violence and sexual misconduct. It also conducts conscientisation workshops to raise awareness, challenge biases, and promote empathy among stakeholders.

“As an integral component of our initiatives, the GEADO implements proactive measures to foster safe spaces for students, through the establishment of its Sexual Offence Response Team (SORT) and sexual harassment guidelines,” said Dr Lentsu Nchabeleng, Deputy Director of the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office. She further emphasised, “These frameworks are formulated to tackle and prevent occurrences of gender-based violence and sexual misconduct, ensuring a secure, healthy, and conducive environment for both students and staff to flourish and develop as individuals and as a community.” The GEADO is currently reviewing the UFS Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and Sexual Violence Policy to strengthen its commitment to a zero-tolerance stance on gender-based violence and sexual misconduct.

Beyond addressing specific incidents, the GEADO aims to cultivate an inclusive and socially just atmosphere across the UFS’s campuses. It closely monitors the environment, identifies trends, and stays updated on global and local interventions to positively impact its work.

The office is a driving force behind fostering a safe, inclusive, and socially just campus culture that embraces gender equality and combats discrimination. It partners with LGBTIAQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, queer, and others) organisations like Free State Rainbow Seeds to further support its mission. Some of the programmes championed by the office include safety zone training, sexuality sensitisation, and diversity training.

Safe zone training

The Safe Zones@UFS project is modelled after a similar programme in the USA, specifically the Safe Zones Project at San Diego State University. Its purpose is to create a supportive and safe environment for individuals who identify as LGBTIAQ+.

Dr Nchabeleng said the project encompasses the training of faculty members and students to become Safe Zones allies, offering support to students, staff, as well as families and friends of individuals identifying as LGBTIAQ+. She emphasised that the role of Safe Zone allies involves providing assistance to LGBTIAQ+ students and staff during their coming-out process, serving as an informative resource for LGBTIAQ+ matters, advocating for LGBTIAQ+ rights, and acting as a referral point for other essential services, including medical and counselling support.

Sexuality sensitisation

Gender and sexuality sensitisation is crucial for fostering inclusive and respectful environments in educational institutions, workplaces, and communities. It involves raising awareness about consent, sexual minorities, and diverse gender identities, while addressing gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and misconduct. The approach includes consent education, understanding sexual minorities, exploring gender identities, combating gender-based violence and harassment, promoting safe spaces, challenging stereotypes, encouraging allyship, and promoting positive masculinity and femininity. Overall, these efforts create a more understanding and supportive community in which individuals of all genders and sexual orientations can thrive.

Diversity Training

The Diversity Training programme focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of diverse backgrounds and experiences. It includes workshops and training to address unconscious bias, promoting a fair and equitable environment. The goal is to create a sense of belonging, where everyone feels accepted and valued. The programme is flexible and can be customised for organisations or communities, and it can be delivered through various formats. Embracing diversity and inclusion can lead to better outcomes, improved teamwork, and the attracting of diverse talent. Overall, it fosters a culture of inclusivity and appreciation for diverse perspectives, benefitting both individuals and organisations.

Important contact information

Bloemfontein Campus: +27 51 401 3982

South Campus: +27 51 401 7544

Qwaqwa Campus: +27 58 718 5431

Toll-free number +27 80 020 4682

News Archive

Lessons of The Spear

2012-08-14

Discussing weighty issues at the UFS were from left: Prof. Jonathan Jansen; Vice-Chancellor and Rector; Nic Dawes, Editor-in-Chief, Mail & Guardian; Max du Preez: Investigative journalist and political columnist; Ferial Haffajee: Editor, City Press; and Justice Malala: Political commentator and newspaper columnist.
Photo: Johan Roux
14 August 2012

Podcast (MP3)

What were South Africans left with after The Spear? More importantly, what did we learn from The Spear?

These were the issues discussed at a seminar, Beyond the Spear, on the controversial Brett Murray painting at the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) on Monday 13 August 2012.

The university hosted this seminar, Beyond the Spear, in conjunction with acclaimed journalists, to look deeper into the lessons that South Africans learnt from this painting and the reaction from the public and politicians following soon after it went on display at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg.

The four panellists, Mr Justice Malala (political analyst, journalist and host of the news show, The Justice Factor), Mr Nic Dawes (editor in chief of Mail & Guardian), Mr Max du Preez (investigative journalist and political columnist) and Ms Ferial Haffajee (editor of City Press), all presented their views and experiences on the public’s perceptions of this artwork.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, said the purpose of the seminar was to help us make sense of what happened. Prof. Jansen also chaired this seminar.

“This being South Africa, there will be more ‘Spears’. More public crises will unfold that divide the nation and that will stir the emotions. We need to understand what happened so that we are better prepared to deal with the coming ‘Spears’.”

Issues on leadership, South Africa’s hurtful past and the freedom of expression were some of the topics raised by the panellists.

“This has taught us that South Africans – especially the older generation – still need to vent their anger… White South Africa must be patient and allow black citizens to shout at them,” said Mr Du Preez. He warned that this anger should serve a constructive purpose. In reaction to a question if Brett Murray did not disrespect Pres. Jacob Zuma’s dignity with his controversial painting, he said that this painting was “…rude and disrespectful.”

“It was meant to be. It was not honouring him.” He said that politicians will do anything, including messing with the country’s stability, to further their own interests. “From now on we need to be far more alert, far more cynical about our politicians.”

Mr Dawes shared his experience and said that the debates around The Spear were very painful considering where the nation has come from. He said the painting opened up painful pasts and difficult spaces. “It is up to the media to open up these difficult spaces.” He said the painting also brought up questions of how South Africans deal and live with pain. “South Africa must live with its past. The debate should now be how to preserve space for the country’s ghosts and how its citizens could get the resilience to deal with it.”

Ms Haffajee, who was caught in the crossfire between freedom of expression and human dignity and who refused to remove a picture of the painting from the City Press website, said that the media was viciously played by politicians.

“This had shown that achieving freedom took many lives, but it took very little to kill it.” She said The Spear is art that it is part of a rich cultural heritage of protest art.

Mr Malala said with the debates around The Spear painting, something died in South Africa. “The debate was taken away from us. We let politicians get to us.”

After the panellists delivered their presentations, Prof. Jansen led a discussion session between the audience and the panellists.

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