Pretoria: Deputy Director-General at the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD), Shoki Tshabalala, says government is pursuing protocols that will ensure that gender-based violence (GBV) cases reported on higher education campuses are not swept under the carpet.
According to South African Government News Agency, Tshabalala was speaking during a gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) Hybrid Panel discussion hosted by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) in partnership with the University of Johannesburg on Friday. She emphasized that the Deputy Minister of Higher Education is actively working to implement protocols and a policy on whistleblowing to ensure accountability when institutions fail to address harassment reports.
She also highlighted the International Labour Organisation's Convention 190. According to the Department of Employment and Labour, this instrument offers a framework to combat violence and harassment in the workplace, including gender-based incidents. Furthermore, the government is collaborating on an African Union protocol to address violence against women and children.
Tshabalala pointed out that GBVF has been classified as a disaster in South Africa, prompting departments to reprioritize funds to tackle these challenges. This classification was made in November last year under Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act of 2002.
She mentioned ongoing engagements with development partners, Treasury, and the Department of Social Development to ensure resources are allocated effectively. Tshabalala also called on men to contribute to campus safety for women, urging institutions to maintain streetlights and address dark areas to enhance security.
'No one should feel unsafe when you walk at university,' she said, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe environment for all students.