by Gerrit Bester
Prof Nalini Moodley, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), was invited to serve as a panel member at the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU’s) Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Dialogue in Pretoria on 7 November. The theme, Prevent Today, Protect Tomorrow, set a clear, proactive agenda.
The event also featured Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, as the keynote speaker.
The dialogue united government, civil society, academia, corporate partners and survivors’ voices to critically examine strategies to prevent and respond to GBVF in South Africa.
Prof Nalini Moodley, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design, participated as an author in the Voices of Change: GBVF Authors, Survivors & Youth Voice section of the programme. PHOTOS: Ntswe Mokoena (GCIS)
Prof Moodley’s research and advocacy expertise provided essential insights for participants and helped shape actionable outcomes from the dialogue.
She contributed to a high-impact panel discussion, Breaking the GBVF Cycle – Systemic Failures and Corruption that Enable GBVF, alongside other prominent panellists. In addition, she participated as an author in the Voices of Change: GBVF Authors, Survivors & Youth Voice section of the programme.
As the driving force behind TUT’s Research Niche Area: Artivism as a Tool to Combat Gender-Based Violence(s), Prof Moodley has kept the GBVF conversation alive at the University.
Earlier this year, under her leadership, the Faculty hosted the second annual GBV symposium, Canvas for Change: Creative Pathways to Eradicate Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
Asked about the honour of contributing her voice and insights on GBVF on a national stage, Prof Moodley says: “while these invites are a recognition of the work we are doing in this vast field, the dialogue is a much-needed focused nexus of how universities can and must contribute to societal shifts in this country. These platforms allow us to leverage the power of like-minded institutions and communities who can work with us in sharing the artivist agenda of the Faculty of Arts and Design.”
The 16 Days of Activism against GBVF, a government and civil society campaign, will run from 25 November to 10 December to raise awareness about GBVF and mobilise action to end it.
As TUT and the broader community observe the 16 Days of Activism against GBVF, what specific actions can staff and students take on campuses to prevent GBVF, support survivors and foster a safer academic environment for everyone?
Prof Moodley responds as follows: “Preventing GBVF begins with cultivating awareness, empathy and accountability within our academic spaces. Each member of the TUT community carries the responsibility to be alert to the realities of subliminal violations that seem to go unnoticed but really act as indicators of power dynamics. We must respond by listening without judgment, by challenging harmful behaviours that perpetuate norms and by creating networks of care that extend beyond policy. A safer campus is not built by one environment but is a collective responsibility that must be realised together. We need collective courage to ensure that GBVF is evicted from our academic spaces as swiftly as possible. This can only happen if we always raise our voices on GBVF, even if it creates discomfort.”
Prof Moodley during the high-impact panel discussion, Breaking the GBVF Cycle – Systemic Failures and Corruption that Enable GBVF, moderated by Advocate Praise Khambule. PHOTOS: Ntswe Mokoena (GCIS)