Communicating gender transformation 41

GENDER TRANSFORMATION SYMPOSIUM REPORT

2018 that there was little if any gender orientation provided for new students and staff; and no proper consultation on the development of policies and practices to meet the needs of lGBTQi people. in particular, bathrooms and living areas at universities were not inclusive, failing to address the needs of lGBTQi people. The commission identified a significant gender and racial pay gap among staff, with black women faring particularly poorly. funding for gender-based programmes was inadequate. women were insufficiently represented among the staff, most noticeably at the decision-making level in universities. The Commission further noted that heightened awareness of gender inequity and the issue of GBV could largely be attributed to the consciousnessraising activities of students as part of the #feesMusfall movement launched in 2015.

To address these concerns, the CGe noted that gender indicators needed to be integrated into university staffing, teaching, research and management mechanisms; and a variety of gender measurement scales needed to be forged to guide implementers on what should be measured and what should be the targets and outcomes. universities also needed to take action to provide qualitative data that would enable more effective analysis of gender roles within the institutions. Genderdisaggregated data and appropriate baselines for research on the topics of gender equity and gender equality needed to be produced; and groups and forums needed to be established to plan how to use this data. institutions and departments needed to develop innovative solutions to source funding and promote programming on the basis of gender. The commission also highlighted the need to implement a gender focus in the recruitment, mentoring and retention of academic staff to curb the high turnover of female staff and to ensure a conducive work environment in which women can thrive. in addition, career succession plans needed to be forged and implemented which addressed gender disparities, as well as intersectional concerns relating to race and disability, among staff. equity in sTeM programmes was also tagged as an area of focus that needed to be addressed. The CGe continues to partner with CPuT and other higher education institutions to promote intentional gender mainstreaming that has been tailored to their particular institutional circumstances. The commission also supports efforts to adopt a collective approach to promoting gender equality and equity across the sector, in particular through the establishment of a community of practice.