The Faculty of Law is deeply distressed by the continued perpetration of violence against women and children in society. The spate of violence against women and children indicates that we as lawyers and prospective lawyers have much to do to achieve the dreams and goals as set out in the Constitution. The scourge of gender based violence permeating our society denies the rights to substantive gender equality and to freedom from all forms of violence entrenched in the Bill of Rights, and threatens the fabric of our constitutional democracy. It calls for all organs of state, including Universities, and all sectors of society to take urgent, proactive measures to create an environment in which women and children can be physically and psychologically secure
The Faculty of Law recognises the role that it has to play in fostering the ideals of transformative constitutionalism in legal education. Awareness-raising and a zero-tolerance of violence against women and children are important elements of academic and civil society initiatives to end this violence. The right to peaceful protest enshrined in section 17 of the Constitution is one of the tools available to civil society to advocate for more effective measures to address the scourge of gender based violence in our society. The Faculty of Law therefore supports those who are participating in the protest against gender-based violence at Parliament today. The Faculty will do its best to be as accommodating as possible to those students who participate in the protest action.
Finally all students and staff are invited to join the Vice-Dean, Prof Stevens, and other Faculty staff tomorrow at 12h45 – 13h45 at the silent protest action on The Rooiplein against gender-based violence.
Please follow the following link to the communique by the University.