Every August, Women’s Month places issues affecting women in the spotlight through awareness campaigns, public discussions, and institutional messages. Yet once the commemorations end, questions remain about what support exists for women during the rest of the year and whether those resources are visible to the people they are intended to serve.
At the University of Pretoria (UP), support for women extends beyond Women’s Month through a range of initiatives focused on gender justice, wellbeing, and prevention. However, the challenge is not only providing services but ensuring that students know where to find them and feel confident in accessing them when they need support.
The UP website describes the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender (CSA&G) as a multidisciplinary centre that promotes gender justice, social inclusion, human rights, and student wellbeing through research, education, advocacy, policy engagement, and student development. It says that the centre works across all nine faculties and collaborates with Student Affairs and other university support structures to create a safer, more inclusive campus environment.
According to the UP website, CSA&G offers educational programmes on consent, healthy relationships, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, and gender-based violence prevention throughout the year. The website also highlights initiatives such as peer education, leadership development, and awareness campaigns aimed at building a culture of inclusion rather than responding only after harm has occurred.
Dr Pfarelo Matsila, researcher and project manager of the Just Leaders Programme at CSA&G, said that the increased visibility of Women’s Month is valuable but should not be mistaken for the entirety of the university’s work. “There is definitely a difference in visibility and energy during Women’s Month,” he said. “The challenge is ensuring that it translates into sustained action rather than temporary visibility.”
Matsila said that female students continue to face a range of challenges throughout the academic year, including financial pressure, demanding academic workloads, mental health concerns, and experiences of sexual harassment and gender-based violence. He added that many students only seek support once their situations have become overwhelming, making ongoing awareness and early intervention essential.
He said that one of the biggest gaps is ensuring that students remain aware of available support throughout the year, including counselling services, reporting pathways, sexual and reproductive health resources, and programmes that promote gender justice.
Beyond awareness campaigns, Matsila said that CSA&G continues to facilitate initiatives such as the nine-week Just Leaders Programme, befriender training, anti-discrimination training, Trans Protocol training, and sexual and reproductive health and rights education. He said that these programmes are intended to build leadership, strengthen inclusion, and equip students with practical skills that extend beyond the classroom.
The UP website similarly states that supporting female students is a shared responsibility across the institution, involving collaboration between CSA&G, Student Affairs, Student Health Services, faculties, and other support structures. It notes that the university’s approach combines education, advocacy, prevention, and referrals to help students access appropriate support when needed. While the university outlines a range of year-round initiatives, awareness of those services may not always reach every student.
Ameerah Wanga, a postgraduate student at UP, said that she knows little about the university’s safety initiatives for women. “For me, the most important thing is to protect myself and be as safe as I possibly can,” Wanga said. “That means I don’t have to depend on UP to keep me safe, but I still expect the university to do its part if something happens.” Although Wanga stressed that she could only speak from her own experience, her comments reflect one of the challenges highlighted by Matsila: ensuring that students not only have access to support but also know it exists before they need it.
As Women’s Month approaches, the conversation extends beyond commemorating women through annual campaigns. It also raises broader questions about how universities sustain support, promote awareness, and create environments where women can participate, study, and lead with confidence throughout the academic year.
Visual: Mila Jordaan
