The goal of the North-West University (NWU) to promote diversity and inclusion among students, staff and other stakeholders now includes Gender Awareness Week as a critical component.

Gender Awareness Week took place online and it was hosted by Dr Louise Postma, senior lecturer, and Dr Annamagriet de Wet, both from the Potchefstroom Campus. The campaign ran from 7 to 11 August across all three campuses of the university. The focus of the subject this year was the gender galaxy. The beginning of the week featured guest speakers who encouraged and educated the attendees.

Professor Mokgadi Molope from the Faculty of Humanities, in developmental studies, Mahikeng campus, explained the purpose of the gender awareness week is to provide a platform for the University community that is internal and external stakeholders. She said that all of us despite the different gender and sexual orientations, she believes that we need to find ways to work together and ensure that no one is discriminated.

On Day 1, Professor Anthony Brown, head of the Department of Educational Psychology at Stellenbosch University, provided insightful commentary on the significance of understanding diversity and the fluidity of gender when developing policies and laws, setting the tone for the remainder of the week.

The findings of investigations by Charne Coetzee and Alberto Casaleggio (both honours-degree students) into the social media behaviour of young adult men and women were then shared. Both argued that there are differences between how men and women behave on social media. Martin Potgieter, also an honours-degree student, offered information about the distinctions between heterosexual women and homosexual men.

The second day began with a panel discussion among the visiting speakers about gender inclusion and diversity. Dr Annamagriet de Wet then shared enlightening information on education legislation, touching on topics such as gender, diversity, human rights and social justice. Dr De Wet went on to say that it is crucial to keep others' perspectives in mind and avoid projecting our own emotions onto them during discussions because arguments frequently turn heated or emotional.

In addition, Professor Anthony Brown suggested that the nation's laws and regulations should guarantee the safety and affirm the diversity of sexual orientation and gender in the educational and institutional setting. This was echoed by Professor Jacques Rothman, an associate professor of Sociology, who spoke on the messy relationship between hard and soft masculinities and the coexistence of dominant and various expressions of masculinity in social contexts.

The third day started off with Dr Postma introducing Miles Kean Cilliers Robinson at the "Call-Me-Miles" video screening and discussion. The audience had the chance to meet Miles, a youthful, fearless and full-of-life person, and the film focused on his struggles as a trans non-binary during his high school journey.

Miles added that his high school years with his mother were the most challenging for him. “I hated myself, my mother acted negatively when I came clean and the only way I could deal with the situation was to cut myself so I could feel the physical pain,” Miles added.

He emphasised that the university needs to provide a gender-inclusive environment for all students. He urged lecturers to protect students and report incidents of homophobic abuse to the appropriate authorities.

Professor Anthony Brown left the panel on the last day of Gender Awareness Week with an intriguing statement that fascinated the audience. Professor Brown emphasised that while some institutions must improvise when it comes to gender inclusivity, there are schools that accept transgender students, and those schools should be commended.

In response, Dr Postma said that the Gender Awareness Week had been a huge success. “I believe that the attendees had an exciting and educational week and I thank you all for the beautiful and insightful presentations – they were illuminating,” added Dr Postma.

"Organising the Gender Awareness Week requires a lot of planning and effort. I want to thank the Faculty of Education, Edu-HRight (Education and Human Rights in Diversity) and all the guest speakers for making it a success. We aim to make things simple and develop a welcoming educational setting that will accommodate our existing variety,” concluded Dr Postma.

Day four of the North-West University’s Gender Awareness Campaign took place on the Vanderbijlpark campus on 07 September where Dr Tshanduko Tshilongo, Founder of Roanda Research Network (Roanda Holdings) presented a talk on the topic, “Silent suffers: GBV against men by women in South Africa”

In the fight against gender-based violence, much of the focus has been on women as victims. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that men, too, are affected by this pervasive issue.

“As a country with one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world, South Africa typically portrays women as victims and men as perpetrators. But behind this narrative lies a hidden truth: men are also victims of violence, often silenced by societal expectations and stigmas”, says Dr Tshilongo.

Gender-based violence against men is a complex and multifaceted issue, with societal and cultural factors playing a significant role in its prevalence and perpetuation. Traditional gender norms often discourage men from speaking out about their experiences, further exacerbating the silence surrounding this issue. According to Dr Tshilongo, the goal is to challenge misconceptions and promote a more inclusive understanding of this pervasive issue by uncovering the stories of male survivors and exploring the underlying causes and consequences of gender-based violence against men. It is time to break the silence and acknowledge that violence does not discriminate based on gender.

From the left Professor Jacques Rothmann, Dr. Annamagiet de Wet, Miles Kean Cilliers Robinson, and Dr Louis Postma

Dr Tshilongo (third from left) with attendees from the Vanderbijlpark campus