16 Days of Activism: why attitude is key

THE international awareness campaign on 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence taking place until December 10 provides an appropriate opportunity for higher education institutions to reflect on a crucial issue that is touching the lives of so many women, including students and staff, across the country and world.

This year has been another challenging one when it comes to violence in general and gender-based violence in higher education specifically.

It was marked by two traumatic incidents: the rape and murder of UCT media and film studies student Uyinene Mrwetyana and the killing of UWC student Jesse Hess.

These horrific incidents were painful reminders of the pervasive nature of misogyny and patriarchal violence that impedes freedom of women in South Africa.

As in the rest of the country, students, staff members, and stakeholders at the University of the Free State dressed in black to show their outrage over the violence in a silent march on campus in September. The sincerity and fervour of the marchers, women and men, was inspiring.

But we need to ask whether these symbolic gestures are enough?

Abuse is a very physical act – often with dire, physical consequences. Apart from all the discussions, demonstrations, and denouncements, is there not something we can do to physically fight this scourge?

It is significant that demonstrators across the country were wearing black. Traditionally, this is the colour of mourning and loss. It symbolises not only loss of life and opportunity that these incidents have caused, but also the loss of trust, innocence, and carefreeness for the wider community and potential victims everywhere.

There was a sad irony in seeing so many young people in mourning mode. After all, one’s study years are supposed to be some of your happiest. It is a heartbreaking reality that gender-based violence can turn it into your most traumatic.

How can we break this cycle of violence and abuse? How can we interrupt the process of elevating patriarchal and misogynistic role models?

I have often said that a university or other institution of higher learning should be a microcosm of what our society should look like. Not because it is perfect and never makes mistakes, but because it is founded on principles of equality, tolerance, excellence, diversity, community upliftment and forward-thinking – striving for social justice in everything it does.

While students are on our campuses, we have an opportunity to influence and guide them at a time when they make crucial decisions about the rest of their lives. To play our part as positive influencers, we should give them more than just theory. We should give them deliberate acts of caring.

In the words of US author and organisational behaviour expert Margaret J Wheatley: “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”

I believe our response to the violence and indifference that threatens to engulf higher education campuses should be to fight it with a renewed sense of ubuntu – transpiring into real, deliberate acts of caring and kindness.