A sexual violence task team has been formed at Rhodes University to try and dismantle the alleged rape culture that exists on campus.
The inclusive task team and several subcommittees was formed on the heels of angry student protests that brought the campus to a standstill for several days after it was claimed dozens of rape cases had not been reported to management.
Gender Action Project (GAP) media officer Chelsea Haight yesterday told the Daily Dispatch the formation of the task team was “an important step towards finding ways to dismantle rape culture on our campus”.
Haight, who is on the task team steering committee, however admitted much more needed to be done to stamp out the rape culture and patriarchy, she said, was insidious in our culture and society.
The protests began after the campus-based GAP claimed more than 20 incidents this year had not even been reported to university officials.
Tensions escalated when some of the alleged offenders were held hostage by students and management resorted to getting a high court interdict to prevent damage to property after police fired rubber bullets at protesters.
Speaking in her personal capacity, Haight said as far as she knew, no further allegations of unreported campus rape had been made to GAP since the initial 23 that sparked the protests.
She said although not everyone felt the way she did, things had definitely moved forward since the allegations first surfaced.
“We need more investment from management in the processes to dismantle rape culture.”
Haight added several subcommittees had been formed to tackle concerns like coming up with a guide to sensitise students to issues accompanying rape culture.
She said the suspension of suspected rapists on the #RUReferenceList, who had not been charged with an offence yet, was a demand which still had not been addressed and was problematic for some protesters who felt it needed to be tackled first.
Approached for comment yesterday, university spokeswoman Catherine Deiner forwarded the Dispatch a campus-wide circular she sent out late last week to students and staff that explained how far the process had moved since protests last month.
According to the circular, attempts by management to try resolve the #RUReferenceList issue at a closed meeting last week ended in disarray after a student leader allegedly did not stick to the the agenda and launched “a gratuitous and ad hominem assault” on vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela instead.
The circular said a full meeting of the task team had already taken place and another was planned this week.
Seven sub task teams had also been formed and each included two coordinators – one a student and the other a staff member.
The sub teams will work on issues like creating safe spaces for survivors/victims, policies and procedures, curriculum and activities, systemic issues, local and national issues, academic project and protocol and the monitoring and evaluation of the task team.
Sexual violence task team tackles alleged Rhodes rape culture
The inclusive task team and several subcommittees was formed on the heels of angry student protests that brought the campus to a standstill for several days after it was claimed dozens of rape cases had not been reported to management.
Gender Action Project (GAP) media officer Chelsea Haight yesterday told the Daily Dispatch the formation of the task team was “an important step towards finding ways to dismantle rape culture on our campus”.
Haight, who is on the task team steering committee, however admitted much more needed to be done to stamp out the rape culture and patriarchy, she said, was insidious in our culture and society.
The protests began after the campus-based GAP claimed more than 20 incidents this year had not even been reported to university officials.
Tensions escalated when some of the alleged offenders were held hostage by students and management resorted to getting a high court interdict to prevent damage to property after police fired rubber bullets at protesters.
Speaking in her personal capacity, Haight said as far as she knew, no further allegations of unreported campus rape had been made to GAP since the initial 23 that sparked the protests.
She said although not everyone felt the way she did, things had definitely moved forward since the allegations first surfaced.
“We need more investment from management in the processes to dismantle rape culture.”
Haight added several subcommittees had been formed to tackle concerns like coming up with a guide to sensitise students to issues accompanying rape culture.
She said the suspension of suspected rapists on the #RUReferenceList, who had not been charged with an offence yet, was a demand which still had not been addressed and was problematic for some protesters who felt it needed to be tackled first.
Approached for comment yesterday, university spokeswoman Catherine Deiner forwarded the Dispatch a campus-wide circular she sent out late last week to students and staff that explained how far the process had moved since protests last month.
According to the circular, attempts by management to try resolve the #RUReferenceList issue at a closed meeting last week ended in disarray after a student leader allegedly did not stick to the the agenda and launched “a gratuitous and ad hominem assault” on vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela instead.
The circular said a full meeting of the task team had already taken place and another was planned this week.
Seven sub task teams had also been formed and each included two coordinators – one a student and the other a staff member.
The sub teams will work on issues like creating safe spaces for survivors/victims, policies and procedures, curriculum and activities, systemic issues, local and national issues, academic project and protocol and the monitoring and evaluation of the task team.
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