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Xhosa Student Association and GEADO host dialogue about gender-based violence

05 September 2023 | Story Nicole Bongo | Photo Supplied

GBV dialogue 2023 — The UFS Xhosa Student Association and Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office joined forces to host a dialogue to enlighten students on combating gender-based violence.

The Xhosa Student Association at the University of the Free State (UFS), along with the UFS Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office (GEADO) on its Bloemfontein Campus, recently hosted a dialogue titled ‘Aiding the Victim’, to educate students about what perpetuates gender-based violence, and inform them about UFS support services available to help fight GBV.

The discussion was held at the Education Auditorium on 25 August 2023, and students were challenged to pinpoint what GBV is and what it looks like. Balisa Nqambuza, Chairperson of the Xhosa Student Association and second-year BA student majoring in psychology and philosophy, said, “There is a need to have these tough conversations, as they provide insight on how to combat GBV in the future... We have had enough talks about the problem, and it is very important to start speaking about solutions that inform people of what they can do when encountering GBV.”

The event organisers said the dialogue was an opportunity for GEADO and the Xhosa Student Association to inform students about support structures within the university that provide help for students through free counselling sessions.

“The objective was to bring awareness about GBV victims amongst us, and how to assist them better, and to also highlight comprehensive approaches, as dialogues may discuss holistic approaches that address the multidimensional impact of GBV, including psychological, emotional, physical, and economic consequences,” said Pebetsi Kgole, a guest speaker and intern from GEADO.

In May 2023, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund reported a shocking rise in violence against women in South Africa, with 969 murders and 1 485 attempted murders recorded over this period. The UFS has put many structures in place to help in the fight against the scourge of GBV.

Other support services available include a sexual offense response team made up of GEADO, Protection Services, Kovsie Health, access to psychologists and social workers, and free services to help victims feel safe in a secure environment.

News Archive

Dare we hope?

2014-07-01

Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela has done it again. She has succeeded in writing yet another book that critics herald as “lucid and compelling”, “of striking moral intelligence” and “as fresh as ever.” Her book, Dare we Hope? Facing our Past to find a New Future, rekindles our hope as South Africans and will be released on 7 July 2014.

In this book, Prof Gobodo-Madikizela explores what she calls the “unfinished business,” Afrikaner rage, why apologies are not enough, and the crisis of moral leadership in politics. Yet, in the face of all this, she shows the way to healing a wounded South African nation.

Prof Gobodo-Madikizela is a Senior Research Professor in Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation Studies at the UFS. Her research has made huge inroads into the reparative elements of victims-perpetrator dialogue in the aftermath of mass trauma and violence. She has served on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and spent an extended period at Harvard University.

Her latest book follows on her hugely-successful title, A Human Being Died that Night: A South African Story of Forgiveness. For that book, she won the Alan Paton Award in South Africa, and the prestigious Christopher Award in the United States.

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