How UCT is transforming gender and inclusion

Dr Sianne Alves speaks passionately about the significant strides that the University of Cape (UCT) has made over the last decade to advance sexual and gender diversity and tackle gender-based violence (SGBV) on campus.

As the director of the Office for Inclusivity & Change (OIC) in the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Transformation, Student Affairs and Social Responsiveness, Dr Alves is dedicated to building, developing and fostering an environment where everyone feels included, and where change is respected, encouraged and celebrated. Gender and inclusion are issues that she has led from the front to fight for – with resounding success.

But Alves is not the kind of a person to blow her own trumpet, she consistently credited the successes to teamwork and contributions from various university stakeholders, such as students, staff, alumni and partners.

Central to these efforts is the OIC itself, established in 2017, which has played a pivotal role in institutionalising support, advocacy, and systemic change.

“When I became the director, I took the UCT Survivors’ demands, led by Dela Gwala, as the basis for our foundation in relation to GBV.”

Speaking candidly about UCT’s progress, Alves recalled the foundational shifts that began with protest movements on campus, such as UCT Survivors, #PartriarchyMustFall, #QueerRevolution, the Trans Collective, #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall. “When I became the director, I took the UCT Survivors’ demands, led by Dela Gwala, as the basis for our foundation in relation to GBV,” she said.

Subsequently, the OIC was formed by merging four units: the Disability Service, Employment Equity Office, the HIV/AIDS and Inclusivity Unit, and the Discrimination and Harassment Office. This integration laid the groundwork for a holistic and coordinated response to issues of inclusion and support for marginalised communities on campus.

Prior to that, one of the earliest and most significant interventions came through a Global Fund grant that Alves applied for and was granted in 2014, aimed at understanding and improving the experiences of sexually and gender-diverse students. The initiative focused on inclusive healthcare, cultural change, and policy development – resulting in the creation of UCT’s Inclusive Policy for Sexual Orientation. Importantly, the policy was co-written by students and staff, including activists from Rainbow UCT, the Trans Collective, and faculty allies – attesting to Alves’ stance of inclusion of the marginalised community in leading the change that they sought.

Institutional shifts in action

This policy reshaped not only UCT’s teaching and learning practices but also how the university communicates. Language in official documents and invitations began shifting from binary and gender-assumptive to inclusive – replacing “Mr and Mrs” with “Mx” or simply “partner”.

Further institutional changes followed. The student admissions process was overhauled to allow applicants to self-identify across a broader gender spectrum, and student cards were updated to remove honorifics, free of charge. These changes signal UCT’s commitment to visibility and respect for its trans and non-binary students.

“This signalled to new applicants that UCT was truly inclusive – that they could really belong,” said Alves.

During 2014–2016, healthcare on campus also evolved. The OIC partnered with medical experts and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to train Student Wellness staff on inclusive practices. Doctors were taught to ask open-ended, non-assumptive questions, especially when consulting students with diverse sexual practices. “Inclusive healthcare is not just about language. It’s about asking the right questions that open up space for people to speak about their actual experiences,” Alves noted.

Physical infrastructure also adapted to reflect these values. In response to student activism, UCT committed in 2018 to building gender-neutral bathrooms in all new buildings. As of now, 52 gender-neutral bathrooms exist across campus compared to just one prior to that, with efforts under way to retrofit older buildings.

These achievements, Alves emphasised, were only possible through the combined efforts of Rainbow UCT students, queer staff, the registrar’s office, ICTS services, and the executive leadership.

Survivor-centred support

Turning to UCT’s evolving response to GBV, Alves highlighted the shift toward survivor-centred care, with mental and medical well-being placed at the forefront. “The survivor knew that there were safe spaces, and they knew they would be helped from a psychological perspective before we even began to talk about reporting,” she said.

A standout feature of this approach is UCT’s trauma counselling programme led by survivor support case officer Yumna Seadat, which includes trauma release exercises and the formation of the university’s first survivor support peer group. “Survivors come together and help each other on campus,” she explained. “The intention behind that was that survivors don’t feel alone – that they can find themselves in someone else.” The impact of this initiative was shared publicly via an Instagram Live event, where even family members of survivors joined to speak about the importance of solidarity and healing.

Preventative education plays a crucial role in UCT’s multi-layered strategy. The university has introduced GBV awareness workshops in student residences, facilitated by “agents of change” and peer educators led by Stella Musungu, a student capacity building specialist for the OIC. These workshops cover topics such as consent, sexual harassment, and the university’s survivor-centred approach.

“We want them to feel safe, but also to be aware of their responsibility.”

Targeted programmes for male students have also been launched and conceptualised by Babalwa Gusha, a relations strategist specialist in the OIC. These include “Becoming Men”, which engages first- and second-year students in discussions about masculinity and acceptable behaviour; “UCT Men Let’s Talk”, which encourages peer-led dialogue across year groups; and “Tales of Turning”, which extends the conversation to alumni through social media platforms.

“Men come to UCT with different beliefs informed by society, religion, or upbringing. It’s important they understand what is acceptable within the university context,” Alves said. “We want them to feel safe, but also to be aware of their responsibility.”

UCT also engages in national and international collaborations to share best practices. The university is an active member of South Africa’s national Community of Practice on GBV and represents the country in the International Alliance of Research Universities, alongside institutions like Yale, Oxford, and the University of Tokyo.

Still, challenges remain. One pressing issue is the tension between UCT’s survivor-centred approach to GBV and national legislation. The 2022 amendments to the Sexual Offenses and Related Matters Act require mandatory reporting of sexual violence involving specific vulnerable groups, regardless of survivor consent. “This contradicts our approach,” Alves explained. “We believe the choice to report must remain with the survivor. Forcing them to report can further traumatise them.”

UCT has focused on reducing secondary victimisation on survivors by optimising its operations as far back as 2018 where it developed a centralised digital case reporting tool for GBV, discrimination, and harassment. Accessible via mobile devices, the tool allows survivors to report incidents confidentially and track the status of their cases. “It eliminates the need for students to retell their story multiple times to different offices. It’s private, trauma-informed, and efficient,” Alves said.

“We believe the choice to report must remain with the survivor. Forcing them to report can further traumatise them.”

The university also established a specialised tribunal in 2021 to address GBV and racial discrimination cases with urgency. Focused on accountability and behavioural change, this initiative reflects UCT’s commitment to justice and education over punishment alone.

As UCT continues to strive toward Vision 2030 – which includes building a culture of inclusivity – Alves remains optimistic, albeit cautious. “Each year we make progress. But inclusion is dynamic. It depends on everyone in this institution – their empathy, their actions, and their willingness to celebrate and value difference.”

Looking ahead, UCT’s vision to reduce GBV is clear: create a culture where every student and staff member is educated on consent and empowered to act. “It’s a call to action – to become a mentor, an advisor, someone who takes responsibility. If everyone knows what constitutes harm, then everyone becomes accountable for ensuring that incidences are reduced on campus,” she said.