importance of gender transformation in Higher education 14

accordingly, the student representative Council (srC) and peer-education officers who seek to mentor and support students have a crucial role to play in advocating for gender-inclusive change, including by identifying students with socio-economic challenges and reporting on incidents on the ground and producing comprehensive and innovative solutions for addressing these, as well as by representing the interests of the whole student body, providing a voice for the otherwise voiceless.

in this context, CPuT’s Council has approved an institutional Transformation statement on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), demonstrating its zero-tolerance stance on GBV. The university’s executive Management has also approved an institutional statement on Transformation, Diversity and social Cohesion, indicating the institution’s commitment to promoting transformation and its activist opposition to sexism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia and related intolerances. The university seeks to encourage everyone to speak out against racism, gender-based violence, sexism, ableism, homophobia, xenophobia, religious intolerance, language intolerance and other related prejudices.

CPuT has also adopted the approach of seeking partnerships with government bodies and the private sector to change the dominant, patriarchal narrative within society at large and forge and implement gender-sensitive policies, strategies and actions both within the institution and more broadly. for example, the university’s gender mainstreaming policy takes into account the aims of the united Nation’s (uN’s) sustainable Development Goals (sDGs), in particular Goal 4 which seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. The goal sets a number of targets to be achieved by 2010, including: • The provision of equal access for all women and men to affordable, quality technical, vocational and tertiary education including at universities; • The acquisition by all learners of the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, and a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity; and • The construction and upgrading of education facilities that are child- and disability-friendly and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments.