?In celebration of Women's Month, Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 (SU) is shining a spotlight on extraordinary staff and students on our campus who champion women's rights and gender equality. Through their dedication and leadership, they inspire and drive positive change within our community. Dr Jill Ryan serves as the Coordinator for Gender Non-Violence at SU's Equality Unit. She is an advocate against gender-based violence (GBV) and works tirelessly to implement innovative solutions in this field. Her role focuses on fostering a safe and inclusive environment within the 中国体育彩票 through education and support initiatives.
?What does your role at SU entail?
As the gender non-violence coordinator, my main function entails providing strategic institutional support towards SU's response against gender-based violence (GBV). This means providing shared responsibility management, monitoring the institution's anti-GBV activities, initiatives and action plans linked to policy through our anti-GBV monitoring committee, as well as providing training and interventions on GBV awareness and creating strengthened partnerships and collaborations to respond to GBV.
What is the most rewarding and challenging parts of your work?
The biggest reward is when you see positive outcomes such as new policies or campaigns taking off. It's also inspiring when you're involved with projects, and you see an uptake in GBV awareness and the associated support services. In the 中国体育彩票 environment, it's encouraging when people start taking initiative to run such projects on their own, creating more awareness, but also inviting the Equality Unit to be part of it.
The challenge is cultivating shared responsibility to counter stigmatisation and misinformation about GBV and to create safe spaces where these conversations can be had. For some staff and students, it's quite a journey to get to the point where you realise what forms GBV can take and to feel safe enough to speak out.
What do you think are the main obstacles to solving gender-based violence in South Africa?
The challenges are numerous and systemic. For example, this year one of the big challenges are the budget cuts affecting welfare services, especially for GBV or violence prevention. I'm part of a violence prevention forum where I represent the Higher Education sector, along with various stakeholders from civil society, and the NGO, government, and private sector. Cuts to budgets are impacting the provision of essential services to the point where some NGOs supporting GBV victims are closing. That is why partnerships and collaboration have become so important. We have to lean on each other for resources and expertise and in this environment public-private partnerships are taking centre stage.
How do you collaborate with student leadership and other stakeholders to combat GBV on campus?
I collaborate with all structures, societies and SRC portfolios on campus that incorporate some form of GBV awareness or social justice issues in their work, be they staff or student initiatives. It is really about creating visibility about GBV but also, who on campus can I turn to if I or someone I know is affected by GBV? The Equality Unit generally works closely with the SRC's WAQE (Womxn and Queer Empowerment) portfolio and other SRC portfolios, as well as associated student societies such as QueerUS and SPECTRUM! for our gender inclusivity initiatives.
This year, I worked with Students for Law and Social Justice SU branch on a GBV information booklet, as well as working with the Association of Catholic Tertiary Students for their Victims Violence Rally which took place at SU on Freedom Day.
I work with staff structures such as HR's Employee Wellness, either through the Siyakhula programme or the Employment Equity roadshows, where we address topics such as gender sensitivity and unconscious bias, structural violence, but importantly showcasing the available support services at SU. Our recent external partners are those based at the Stellenbosch GBV Centre in Idas Valley, where we are currently hosting training for SU staff and student leadership on how to respond to sexual assault, as per the recent legislative amendment of one's duty to report. We are doing this training in partnership with the Ring for Peace Cape Trust GBV Hub, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Stellenbosch Thuthuzela Care Centre and ER24.
We aim to be an ally and a resource for anyone who is driving issues relating to gender and equality. In addition to this, I often receive invitations to participate on various panel discussions at SU and via other related networks.
Which projects or initiatives are you excited about?
I'm excited about our recent “Together against Gender-based Violence" campaign that we launched on several platforms at SU at the beginning of August, with a dedicated website about GBV issues and where to access support services. The website provides information about resources where people can find answers to questions such as how to recognise GBV, how to report a GBV incident and advice on how friends and family can support GBV survivors. There is also a link on the site to report GBV.
We're also promoting events related to anti-GBV campaigns on campus, for example the Gender Equality week happening this week from 26 to 30 August. Organised by WAQE, it marks the end of Women's Month with a series of events aimed at raising awareness about gender inequalities and the fight against GBV. Highlights include a documentary screening, a queer book launch, and a banner-painting event promoting non-violence on campus. The week will wrap up on Friday with a celebratory jazz night at the Co-create hub.
Do you have a special Women's Month message to SU staff and students?
As much as it's wonderful to see how women are celebrated in August every year in recognition of their contributions in every sphere of society, we should not limit the celebration to a particular day or month. As women, we deserve recognition and affirmation every day, anywhere we find ourselves. As women, you should never feel excluded – every space you find yourself in should be affirming, inviting, supporting of everything you bring. Don't accept just being tolerated, you deserve to be celebrated. Make your presence known, let it be felt unapologetically. You earned your place, be it amidst positions of leadership, change, innovation or influence… you are not there by mistake or chance, but by sheer determination and purpose.
PHOTO: Stefan Els
