Interventions to address sexual violence in SA universities show promise

AS THE country continues to observe 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against women and children, a South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) study shows promising interventions in addressing sexual violence and mental health challenges among students in the post-school education and training sector. 

The interventions result from eight years of rigorous building, innovating and testing by the Gender and Health Research Unit in partnership with the Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance Use, and Tobacco Research Unit of the SAMRC. 

The SAMRC on Thursday held a briefing detailing these interventions. 

Among the initiatives is "Ntombi Vimbela!" (NV!), designed for first-year female students, a group identified as being at particularly high risk of sexual violence.

“Key risk factors for sexual violence include being a first-year student, coming from poor socio-economic backgrounds, and experiencing food or resource insecurity. Additional risks were linked to engaging in risky sexual behaviours such as having multiple sexual partners and transactional sex, suffering from mental ill health, and harmful alcohol use,” the research team explained. 

Their interventions included 11 three-and-a-half-hour workshop sessions outside academic hours with groups of 20 women aged 18-30 who date men only. 

Ntombi Vimbela! is intended to be co-delivered by trained young women facilitators who are close to being peers, i.e. who have similar age, cultural backgrounds and other demographic characteristics to the participant. 

The sessions were focused on enhancing self-confidence, communication, and decision-making skills, building healthy relationships, challenging gender inequitable beliefs and rape myths, as well as improving knowledge of sexual rights, legal protections, and reporting procedures. 

Following the workshops, researchers found that most participants reported improved awareness of sexual rights, assertive communication and shifts in gender-equitable beliefs, among others. 

One of the the participants in the study is quoted as saying: “I used to find it difficult to stand my ground and argue with my partner, when he says I won`t do a certain thing then I don’t do it because he is a man and he takes care of me financially so why should I say no including sexual things.  I thought I should always agree with him. But the NV! workshops taught me that it doesn`t matter if he is taking care of me or what, it`s about me and we need to understand each other, love each other and respect each other and also respect each other`s decisions. Now, we both decide on what to do and we communicate very well. He lets me say what I want, and I let him say what he wants and then we decide on what to do.” 

Another participant said: “Sometimes, he would do sexual things I didn’t like. I would not know what to say and how to respond but I would just keep quiet. But after I attended NV! workshop, I decided that I will have to stand up for myself and how I feel, so I told him that I don’t like the things you do and always say to me. You must stop it.”

Researchers recommended that interventions for first year students "should strategically (be) implemented early in the academic year, to enable them to be safe and adjust to campus life".

"Post-school education and training institutions need to develop and implement comprehensive GBV policies which adopt a survivor-centered approach and zero-tolerance to GBV. Institutional GBV policies should include procedures for reporting, handling of cases, support, and should consider the different needs of student population groups by gender and sexual orientation." 

The researchers said support staff including security also needed to be trained to make appropriate referrals. Overall, services needed to be monitored by gathering students' experiences of services, for continuous improvement.

Cape Times