GBV advocacy group wants more security at student housing
A gender-based violence advocacy group says security needs to be beefed up at student housing facilities in the country.
A young woman was stabbed and wounded allegedly by her partner at a private student residence at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Video footage of the incident, which was widely shared online, sparked an outpouring of public anger.
Ntombifikile Mtshali, who's the CEO of Shout-It-Now, says tertiary institutions need to prioritise student safety.
ALSO READ: Amnesty SA calls for systems overhaul to better tackle GBV
"In the resident hall, they need to be safe, well-lit areas in the campus, safety services such as 'buddy walks for students ' and maybe transportation for late at night."
"And also running campaigns, this is a good time for us based on this instant, this is a good time for us to start having campaigns and rally students. To create a culture that condemns gender-based violence, especially if it’s intimate partner violence."
She says a multi-faceted approach is needed to support survivors of GBV.
"Particularly varsities, we need to talk about what are the policies that are going to mitigate or discourage instances where students are being violated, especially by their own peers.
'What is the mechanism that needs to flow and that needs to be included in the policies? Because that's how we can be able to hold perpetrators accountable."
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