The Indaba, hosted by the University’s Transformation Office in collaboration with Higher Health, the National Association for Student Development Professionals (NASDEV), and the South African Union of Students (SAUS), gathered students, scholars, practitioners and civil society representatives to interrogate and reimagine masculinities within the higher education sector.
Professor André Keet
Speaking at the opening of the Indaba, Professor André Keet, who was Acting Vice-Chancellor at the time, said the two-day dialogue marked a crucial milestone for the higher education sector.
“This particular inaugural event around masculinities that our university is hosting ties in very well not only with our vision of being an institution in service of society, but also one that is rooted in a particular set of values,” he said.
“It’s a very significant milestone for the conversation around masculinities to take shape within the higher education sector at the national level … a necessary step towards confronting and reshaping the narratives, forms and structures that define masculinities in our contemporary society.”
At its core, the Indaba sought to stimulate critical and positive engagement with masculinities, while foregrounding values aligned with South Africa’s constitutional principles of equality, dignity and justice.
“The Indaba is meant to reflect deeply on ways in which identities are constructed, lived and institutionalised,” Prof Keet said.
“It challenges us, as institutions, to move beyond stereotypes and to embrace forms of national identities that are caring, accountable, just and inclusive.”
The Indaba saw the launch of an Anti-Gender-Based Violence Charter, through which students pledged to reaffirm their commitment to creating safe, inclusive and supportive campus environments across South African higher education institutions. It provides a framework for coordinated institutional responses to GBV that are anchored in prevention, accountability and survivor support.
According to Dr Ruby-Ann Levendal, Director of Mandela University’s Transformation Office, the Indaba “focused on evidence-based dialogue, sociological critique, and the promotion of responsible masculinities as catalysts for social transformation, family stability and community cohesion”.
The Charter outlines strategies for:
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Developing partnerships and collaborations with key stakeholders, including government departments, student bodies, and non-governmental organisations
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Fostering prevention and awareness programmes that challenge harmful gender norms and promote leadership accountability through targeted GBV training
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Strengthening survivor support systems and ensuring access to appropriate institutional resources, and
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Improving reporting and monitoring mechanisms through consistent data collection and analysis.
“Panellists engaging at the inaugural Student Indaba on Masculinities, recently held at Nelson Mandela University’s Business School.
”Participants emphasised the importance of aligning institutional disciplinary systems with the Charter’s principles to ensure transparency and accountability, and to foster trust in formal processes.
National Executive Council member of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), Siyonela Madzidzela, highlighted the need for coordination and visibility.
“The marketing of these programmes is important … [and] collaboration within current stakeholders is key — students, faculties, counsellors and external support organisations should not work in silos,” she said.
Among the recommendations was the appointment of GBV Champions in university residences, serving as communication links between students, residence management and institutional GBV offices.
Prof Keet noted that the Indaba reflected the university’s commitment to deepening transformation and advancing social justice.
“As an institution, we are humbled to host this pioneering engagement that aligns so well with our strategy and our battle against gender-based violence, inequality and exclusion,” he said. “The Indaba consolidates the good work already underway while deepening our approaches to building caring and inclusive university spaces.”
The Student Indaba on Masculinities represents a sector-wide call for collaboration in rethinking gender relations in higher education. By launching the Anti-GBV Charter, Nelson Mandela University reaffirmed its leadership role in cultivating a new culture of respect, accountability and collective action that advances the constitutional vision of a just and caring society.