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Daily Maverick
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Sexual harassment cases at SA universities often fall through cracks, warns gender equality body
The Commission for Gender Equality says officials at some higher learning institutions lack the skills to respond to sexual harassment cases of students. Appearing before the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education on Wednesday, 16 July, the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) cited a 2024 report that there is a lack of implementation of policies to address sexual harassment cases, and some universities lack the capacity to assist students. 'There are challenges around case management; there is a skills shortage among officials that are first responders… This led to many of the students stating that they would not report sexual harassment because they see that some of the alleged perpetrators are walking around because of cases that go through the cracks due to these skill shortages,' said Naledi Selebano, the acting head of research and policy at the CGE. The CGE is responsible for promoting respect for gender equality, and the protection, development and attainment of gender equality. 'There are staff shortages and issues of caseload wherein one individual is dealing with or responsible for the entire institution, including numerous campuses, because with universities, they may have multiple campuses and not just one,' Selebano told the committee. 'There are issues around weaknesses with the protection: sometimes witnesses are reluctant to come forward; they do not want to be subjected to the process of hearings, and sometimes they lack the confidence to speak about issues of sexual harassment as well as to support the complainant.' The CGE said that pay disparities persisted along gender and race lines at SA's tertiary institutions, particularly at senior post levels, disadvantaging women and African professionals. However, some universities, such as Stellenbosch University (SU), have initiated pay audits and allocated funding to address disparities. The CGE found that while most tertiary institutions have GBV and sexual harassment policies, implementation is inconsistent. The head of legal services at CGE, Tsietsi Shuping, said: 'In many instances, victims do not report due to fear of stigma, retaliation, or uncertainty about institutional procedures. Many institutions have policy gaps on this issue. For instance, many universities lack comprehensive policies that directly address GBV; instead, focusing only on sexual harassment. 'There is often a gap between policy and practice, with poor enforcement of existing regulations. Research has also shown that universities sometimes downplay incidents of GBV to protect their reputation.' NSFAS delays Shuping said the delayed distribution of funds by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) contributed to students feeling vulnerable and becoming victims of sexual harassment. 'These delays may contribute to increased vulnerability to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), as they often place students, especially during the registration period, under significant financial and emotional stress. Beyond tuition and accommodation, students also face urgent needs such as access to food.' The chairperson of the portfolio committee, Tebogo Letsie, said these matters of the safety and security of students must be resolved. Letsie and MP Yanga Govana called on the deputy minister of higher education and training, Mimmy Gondwe, to ensure that NSFAS responds to the issue of allowances being released on time because some students find themselves in a harsh position and have sexual relationships with older men to get money. Gondwe said, 'We're meeting on the 5th of August with NSFAS so that we can bring them on board regarding the concerns raised around the delayed payments that Honourable Govana mentioned.' The CGE recommended that all people who deal with sexual harassment must be trained on victim- or survivor-first responder approaches. Uncomplicated, pragmatic policies must be developed and structures put in place at all higher education institutions, including Technical and Vocational Education colleges and Community Education and Training centres, to address sexual harassment. DM
IOL News
12-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
CGE hails Caster Semenya's court victory as a pivotal moment for human rights in sport
Caster Semenya won in a landmark ruling in Switzerland. Image: File The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has welcomed the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights judgment that found that South African Olympian Caster Semenya was denied a fair trial by Switzerland's legal system. In a 15-to-two decision, the Grand Chamber ruled on Thursday that the Swiss Federal Supreme Court did not sufficiently review Semenya's appeal. This appeal was against the 2019 decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which had upheld World Athletics' differences in sex development (DSD) regulations. This signifies a major turning point in her continuing legal struggle against rules that mandate athletes with differences in sex development to medically change their inherent hormone levels for competitive purposes. Semenya was awarded €80,000 (about R1.6 million) in legal costs by the court, despite not having sought damages. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading This decision, while not directly overturning the DSD regulations, paves the way for further legal challenges and increased scrutiny of how national courts address arbitration decisions concerning fundamental human rights. Javu Baloyi, spokesperson for the CGE, stated that the commission's monitoring role of international instruments, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and Maputo protocols, is mandated by the CGE Act 39 of 1996, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA). 'The CGE believes that it is important that state parties intentionally commit to eliminating discriminatory practices against women at all levels of society,' he said. The commission stated that this case was a test of how effective these instruments are and how the courts consider them in the advancement of gender equality. The CGE has played a critical role in this matter and has further lobbied for support both nationally and internationally, said Baloyi. 'We noted and welcome the judgment as it confirms that a right to a fair trial was infringed. We believe that a fair trial would have vigorously reaffirmed that the regulations are a form of unfair discriminatory practice that violates the right to dignity, equality, and bodily integrity, among others,' said Baloyi. According to Baloyi, from this ruling, the court succinctly pointed out that the limitation of Semenya's rights is based not on existing law but rather on the regulations of a sporting body.. 'Sporting bodies must develop regulations that seek to promote inclusivity and not discriminate unfairly against any person based on their gender.' Baloyi said the CGE would be engaging Athletics South Africa (ASA), South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), and other stakeholders in ensuring Semenya's rights and that of athletes with DSD are allowed to participate in sport both locally and internationally are affirmed. The CGE will continue to heighten activism against the World Athletics regulations that are discriminatory, he added. 'The CGE will draw lessons from this case and continue to influence and determine how to tackle gender discourse at the national, regional, and international levels.'
Straits Times
23-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Chile deepens economic ties with China amid growing dependency concerns
China's President Xi Jinping and Chile's President Gabriel Boric at the opening ceremony of the China-Celac Forum ministerial meeting in Beijing on May 13. PHOTO: REUTERS – In the northern Chilean port city of Mejillones, customers of the country's largest electrical utility by clientele, Compania General de Electricidad (CGE), are concerned that they are being left in the dark. Frustrated with the frequent power cuts in the region, a small group of protesters took to the streets on June 10 and blocked traffic, to demand an end to the blackouts. CGE, which is controlled by China's state-owned State Grid Corp – the world's largest utility company – has said it has taken 'various measures' to fix the problems and they 'deeply regret the inconvenience caused'. In 2021 , State Grid carried out a US$3 billion (S$3.8 billion) takeover of CGE. The June blackout, which CGE attributed to external factors, was the latest in a series of disruptions to Chile's electrical grid, which is now more than 57 per cent controlled by Chinese state-owned companies, including China Southern Power Grid. Chile's blackouts are not solely linked to Chinese-owned firms – a power outage that affected 90 per cent of the population in February was attributed to a Colombian electricity distributor. But experts say they reflect China's deepening influence in critical infrastructure in Chile at a time when the two countries are becoming more interconnected economically. Chinese energy companies have boosted their presence in Latin America in the past few years, with investments particularly in logistics and telecommunications. China's rising influence throughout the region has raised concerns in the United States, which traditionally has the most commercial influence over Latin America and access to its natural resources. Chile was the first Latin American country to sign a free trade agreement with China, now its top trade partner, in 2005. Since 2015, Chile's exports to China have increased about 130 per cent from around US$16 billion to US$37 billion in 2024, according to Marca Chile, the country's promotional agency. That constituted about 40 per cent of Chile's total exports in 2024, more than double those to its next-biggest export partner, the US, with 16 per cent (US$15.3 billion), according to the United Nations' Comtrade database on international trade. Chile has also seen a sharp increase in foreign direct investment from China in its power grid under the latter's flagship Belt and Road Initiative. In 2016, the country's economic development agency, InvestChile, had US$310 million worth of Chinese investment in its portfolio. In 2024, that value reached nearly US$4 billion. As China reaches out, Trump adopts a more assertive approach During the China-Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum ministerial meeting held in Beijing in May, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Chilean President Gabriel Boric that the two countries should create a model of common development between China and Latin American countries and set a stellar example of South-South cooperation. Within the framework of the China-Celac Forum, China and Chile signed three new trade deals , which will expand Chile's agricultural exports such as poultry, wool and leather to China – further entrenching China as Chile's biggest trading partner. At the same time, Chile's relationship with the US is becoming more complicated in the wake of the Trump administration's chaotic tariffs. In February, US President Donald Trump threatened to increase tariffs on copper, one of Chile's biggest exports. Much of the refined metal being sent to the US is coming from giant mines in Latin America, specifically Chile and Peru. Complicating matters further for Chile is big-power contestation: The US and China have butted heads recently over development projects in Chile, including a planned space observatory in the Atacama Desert and a transpacific fibre-optic cable. 'Chile faces growing pressure to choose between technological ecosystems, with projects like digital infrastructure becoming focal points of geopolitical competition,' political science associate professor Francisco Urdinez, who researches China's use of economic diplomacy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, told The Straits Times. Still, Prof Urdinez noted that Chile has been successful so far at balancing the two superpowers. 'Unlike some other Latin American countries that experienced complete economic displacement, Chile appears to have significantly increased China's economic weight without diminishing US influence,' he said. Bolivia's leftist government, for instance, fell out of favour with the US, and has become increasingly dependent on Chinese investment and trade as its economy falters. However, the balancing act is 'becoming increasingly challenging, as evidenced by Chilean President Gabriel Boric's 2023 statement that he had been privately pressured to support one of the two powers', said Prof Urdinez. Both Prof Urdinez and Assistant Professor Andres Borquez, Asian studies coordinator at the University of Chile, agreed that some of the pressure of being wedged between the US and China could be eased by diversifying Chile's trade partnerships even further. This would also help Chile reduce its growing dependence on China. Indeed, Chile has signed 25 trade agreements and belongs to a number of trade groups, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Southern Common Market, the Pacific Alliance and the World Trade Organisation. Time to consider India and South-east Asia Prof Urdinez suggested that Chile should pursue 'strategic equilibrium in its external economic relations' by diversifying its trade relationships, particularly looking to India and South-east Asian countries like Vietnam, which is Chile's largest trading partner in Asean. Given China's vast trade potential compared with other Asian countries, Prof Urdinez suggested that Chile diversify its trade matrix towards Asian countries with large domestic markets such as Indonesia and Thailand to 'absorb some of the products currently going primarily to China'. 'This approach would gradually reduce Chile's dependence on China while maintaining access to the benefits of the relationship, ultimately providing more space for the country to defend its interests when necessary,' he said. 'If China... sneezes, it affects us,' Prof Borquez told ST, adding: 'I would say that Chile's main issue with China is trade dependence.' Chile lacks leverage to demand things from China In 2021, State Grid Corp carried out a US$3 billion (S$3.8 billion) takeover of Compania General de Electricidad. PHOTO: CGE Questions were already raised about State Grid's takeover of CGE following prolonged power cuts in August 2024, which left hundreds of thousands of Chileans in the dark for hours. In February, it was reported that Italy's Enel – another major player in Chile's energy sector – and CGE settled drastically different compensation sums for customers who lost food and appliances in daily disruptions because of energy fluctuations. While Enel Distribucion reportedly agreed to pay US$17.9 million to its 801,141 affected households, CGE pledged to pay just US$8.4 million to 881,965 households, according to America Economia, one of Latin America's leading business magazines. The Italian government holds a majority stake in Enel. Some experts perceive this disparity as an example of Chile's failure to go after companies linked to China. 'The Chilean state, not being particularly influential on the global scale, doesn't have much leverage to demand things from China,' Chilean economist Andres Irarrazaval, who is a lecturer at the London School of Economics, told ST. 'There is kind of a reluctance to push too much on Chinese companies because of the dependence. This is particularly true for Chinese companies which are very much embedded with the Chinese government,' he said. Are copper and lithium Chile's bargaining chips or double-edged swords? A truck being loaded with concentrated brine at SQM lithium mine at the Atacama salt flat in Chile's Antofagasta region. PHOTO: REUTERS Unlike other developing Latin American countries, however, Chile does have a bargaining chip in its relationship with China. Both Prof Urdinez and Prof Borquez point to Chile's vast lithium and copper reserves as means of leverage with China. 'To a certain extent, it's an interdependence because those (companies in China)... need the resources we're selling to them,' said Prof Borquez, noting that lithium is needed for electric vehicles and copper for China's manufacturing and construction sectors. Chile is the world's top exporter of copper and the second-largest lithium producer after Australia. As competition hots up for the raw materials that propel artificial intelligence development and pressure mounts for countries to make the transition to sustainable energy, Chile's position will make it a 'focal point in the broader US-China technological competition', said Prof Urdinez. However, even with current copper shortages driving up prices, Chile could miss out on playing a strong hand with other copper-importing countries. Prof Urdinez pointed to the high concentration of the country's exports in strategic sectors such as copper and lithium, which could limit 'Chile's room for manoeuvre when political tensions arise'. For instance, if the US sanctions countries that sell minerals to non-Western nations, Chile's copper trade with China could be severely curtailed, he warned. Rebecca Johns is a reporter at Latin America Reports, which has a focus on Chilean affairs. Her journalistic work has been featured in The Edinburgh Inquirer and The Latin Times (from the International Business Times), among others. Jim Glade is the managing editor at Latin America Reports, an English-language digital news publication that covers Latin America and contextualises the region's role in global affairs. He is based in Colombia and his reporting has been featured in Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The Independent and The Bogota Post, among others. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Zawya
31-03-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Media Statement: Committee on Women, Youth and Persons With Disabilities Wraps Its KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Oversight Visit
The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has today wrapped its week-long oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province where it assessed critical government programmes that included gender equality, youth development, gender-based violence (GBV), and the inclusion of children with disabilities in the education system. The committee chose KZN province for the March oversight due to the challenges that the province experiences. The challenges that include high rate of teen pregnancies and the highest reported incidents of rape in the country. GBV remains a top priority for the committee. The committee evaluated the implementation of the Sanitary Dignity Programme, which the province has touted as a best practice model. The committee raised concerns over inequality regarding the allocation of resource. Some girls received more sanitary products and others less, a very unfair situation. During its visit at the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), the committee emphasised the need for improved visibility of the Commission and its accessibility to the people it was established for. The committee noted that the location of CGE offices in the Durban CBD makes it inaccessible to those who stay in deep rural areas. The committee has urged the CGE to consider relocating its offices and utilising government mobile units for accessibility to its clients. At the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the committee recommended that the agency improves its outreach by using municipal offices and mobile vehicles to connect with the youth, especially in rural areas. Furthermore, it urged the NYDA to address diversity concerns among its coordinators. The committee also visited Umlazi Police Station where it engaged with Rapid Response Teams (RRT) on infrastructure problems, high incidences of GBV, and the impact of liquor outlets in the area. Members of the committee expressed concerns over the backlog at forensic labs and called for improved staffing ratios. The committee visited the Arthur Blaxall School where it noted the lack of maintenance and the crumbling infrastructure. The committee expressed a concern over the socio-economic challenges faced by learners, health problems, and the lack of parental involvement. At the KZN Blind and Deaf Society, which the committee also visited, it noted a lot of problems that included non-accreditation of courses offered. It also called on the management of the institution to forge partnerships with accredited organisations. In a meeting with the Office of the Premier and the Standing Committee on Quality of Life, the committee received a briefing on the Premier's Women's Empowerment and Youth Empowerment Fund on new initiatives aimed at combating GBV. The committee appreciated the Premier's Office for its commitment to protect vulnerable people and it acknowledged the collaborative efforts that are applied to address the problems experienced by the people. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kenny 'worry' over future of Commonwealth Games
Dame Laura Kenny says "there is a worry" over the future of the Commonwealth Games but hopes next year's event in Glasgow proves it is still "viable". Glasgow stepped in to host a scaled-down version of the 2026 Games after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year because of rising costs. "There is a worry," said Kenny, who was this week appointed Commonwealth Games England (CGE) president. "You have to worry and be a bit concerned. "I'm just hoping that all the research they are putting into how to make it better and what they can do to attract hosts will actually work. "I hope that everything they put in will validate that it is still a key event." Bids from Kuala Lumpur, Cardiff, Calgary, Edmonton and Adelaide to host the 2026 Games were withdrawn because of concerns over costs, leaving it without a host until Victoria stepped in in 2023. Five-time Olympic track cycling champion Kenny told Radio 4's Today programme: "I feel so grateful to Glasgow for putting their hands up and saying they will have it. "It's gutting for some sports because it is a slimmed-down version. Initially when there was no host, I was a bit nervous and I was a bit worried that it might not be a thing any more. "The Commonwealth Games are now looking into the structure of it, how they can improve it, how they can make it more accessible, make it bigger and better so that hosts step forward. "I really hope it goes was well as it went when Glasgow had it before (in 2014) and then they can see it is still viable and a really good sporting event that everyone loves." The Commonwealth Games was first staged in 1930, when it was known as the British Empire Games. The 2030 Games will be held in Hamilton in Canada.
