Ehlanzeni municipality educates students about GBVF

In an effort to intensify its fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in higher institutions of learning, the Ehlanzeni District Municipality (EDM), in collaboration with Absa, successfully hosted GBVF safety training on Thursday October 13 for the students in the district.

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As young men and women, both within the LGBTQ+ community and outside it, continue to face GBV, stereotyping and discrimination, the EDM hosted a well-planned strategic training for safety ambassadors of various institution such as the University of Mpumalanga, Tshwane University of Technology and all the Ehlanzeni TVET college campuses, for them to be well equipped to tackle GBVF and to advocate for GBV victims in their respective student residences and campuses.

The EDM developed a rapid reaction task team against GBVF, in which the students elected a representative from each institution to participate in awareness campaigns and developing strategies to combat this scourge.

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The training session featured engaging, lively group discussions as well as student testimonies and desired solutions. Practical rollout plans to combat GBVF in higher institutions of learning were discussed. The training was led by facilitator, Solly Mabelane, and covered a six-pillar, multi-stakeholder strategy that placed a significant emphasis on victim assistance and consent.

Mabelane said the municipality needs to develop a student hotline that will be able to react rapidly to assist victims in dire need.
“It is disturbing to see young women being abused and raped in university residences, a place we had assumed would be a secure sanctuary for them. GBVF is a real issue in our community. We require a quick-responding hotline so that perpetrators can be apprehended right away after committing the crime.”

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He emphasised greatly how harmful remarks towards the LGBTQ+ community are just as terrible as rape or physical abuse.
“Stop hurling insults and hurtful words at persons who have a different sexual orientation. As much pain as you feel when you are assaulted or injured, the same pain is felt by the LGBTQ+ community when you assault them verbally. The Constitution, which forbids discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, is being undermined by the very comments you guys make. Their mental health may be negatively impacted by these comments. I’m pleading with all the young males to develop acceptance and patience,” he said.

Mabelane mentioned several plans that the municipality would implement to help students and to continuously spread awareness of this scourge.
“The municipality will put in place a consolidation action plan that will focus on teaching men on how to treat women, who will be able to advocate for accountability and responsibility.

The municipality will need to host a parental forum meeting to educate young men from a tender age that violence doesn’t solve anything.”