Men’s attitudes towards women need intervention to change

Female students at university campuses in Tshwane are holding their collective breath to see whether the latest government pledge to make these places of learning safer for women amount to anything.

Police Minister Bheki Cele was at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) on Friday to reassure students that policing would be stepped up in the area, following the attempted rape of a female student recently. Apart from that incident, students have complained about other rapes, as well as ongoing sexual harassment by men in the area, both on and off campus.

The Tshwane University of Technology situation is mirrored on other campuses around South Africa , where female students are often targeted.

It goes without saying that this is an intolerable situation – but it is more worrying because it is obvious that more education does not necessarily mean less sexist and violent behaviour.

We welcome the minister’s move to deal with the TUT situation, but we think the government needs to put programmes in place which actively try harder to change the attitudes of men.

The fact that woman beater, ANC national executive committee member and MP Mduduzi Manana is again involved in allegations that he assaulted a woman – and then tried to pay her off – indicates how necessary such programmes are.

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