The South African Public Colleges Organisation (SACPO) has urged researchers to adhere to the code of ethics and protect the rights of gender-based violence (GBV) survivors when collecting data or conducting interviews.
Speaking at a webinar on GBV in the higher education sector on Friday, SACPO Deputy President, Professor Dipiloane Phutsisi, said GBV is a complex and sensitive subject, especially in countries where there is a strong emphasis on tradition and religion, which has to be respected.
“As a sector, we believe that collecting data in terms of GBV is quite a sensitive topic to deal with, and it often raises ethical questions and concerns around safety issues. It is important that when we deal with survivors of GBV, and during interviews or any kind of interaction, we must respect their safety and be ethical in our conduct, whether in research or any other platform… We need to respect people’s rights and privacy as well,” Phutsisi said.
She bemoaned that survivors are often subjected to poor treatment by the very same institutions where they go to seek help.
Phutsisi commended the release of instruments, guidelines and protocols to help institutions of higher learning to deal better with GBV on campus.
“Before undertaking any supporting intervention to the survivors of GBV, and to prevent re-victimisation, we must ensure that there are ethical guidelines to be followed to protect both the survivors and professionals providing the service.
“We congratulate the team of Higher Health for taking the initiative of releasing these instruments,” she said.
Safe space for students reporting GBV cases
South African Union of Students leader, Siyathaba Nkonyane, said institutions of higher learning must deal holistically with GBV, including getting to the root causes.
“We want to provide a safe space for reporting and handling of such cases. The way in which the cases are dealt with is concerning, because [when survivors] report, they still have to attend the same class with the perpetrators or with a lecturer who has been harassing them,” Nkonyane said.
Nkonyane welcomed the way in which the GBV Policy Framework plans to change the status quo of how cases are dealt with.
“We are looking forward to the implementation of the policy, which will ensure that students will be treated with the same respect and with the same quality of service,” Nkonyane said. – SAnews.gov.za
