Deputy Minister Manamela to lead the Higher Health Gender Based Violence (GBV) and First Things First Assembly at the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), in KwaZulu Natal

The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Mr Buti Manamela will give a keynote address at the Mangosuthu University of Technology on the 30 August 2022.

The Assembly will focus on GBV and Femicide, which is at the heart of HIGHER HEALTH’s approach to health mobilisation, education and service delivery.

A recent HIGHER HEALTH study revealed that 62% of students feel unsafe on campus and feel that they are at high risk to GBV.

While 60% of service staff and 71% academic staff did not feel safe on campus.

Related to this, is the impact of GBV on the mental health of victims. Mental health is a neglected topic, and women’s mental health even more so, with the latter receiving little attention within the South African public health sector.

There are several key factors which impact on the mental health status of South African women, namely gender disadvantage, poverty, gender violence, HIV and peripartum depression.

This session is intended to provide a platform to interrogate the complex social and cultural issues at the root cause of gender-based and sexual violence and to share critical information to better empower our youth.

Source: Government of South Africa