Students’ gendered experiences in higher education post #MustFall movements and during the COVID19 era

Abstract

This research explores the gendered experiences of students in South African higher education; it does so within the context of post-#MustFall movements and the COVID-19 era. Following South Africa's transition to democracy in 1994, the government introduced policies aimed at addressing historical exclusions and inequalities within public institutions. While these policies sought to create more inclusive spaces, issues of privilege and oppression persist in higher education. This study, situated within the field of higher education studies, aimed to deepen our understanding of the intersectional challenges faced by students as they navigate the university as a physical and social space. Specifically, it investigates how gender, as a social construct, intersects with other identity markers such as race, class, sexuality and so on to shape students’ lived experiences. The study contextualises the #MustFall movements and its calling for the decolonisation of universities and the rejection of fees as a key moment in student activism and explores how gender functioned as an intersectional mechanism of student experience, both during and after the protests. The study also highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities within the higher education system, with the shift to online learning. Using intersectionality as a tool of inquiry and praxis, this research employed experience-centred narratives, Ukuncokola (Conversations), and photovoice methodologies, engaging eighteen undergraduate and postgraduate students from Rhodes University, Nelson Mandela University, University of Fort Hare and Walter Sisulu University. The study reveals key findings on the ways students experience intersecting forms of oppression and privilege, including racial microaggressions and challenges related to sexuality, social class, mental health and masculinity. Another significant finding is the widespread sense among female students of being unsafe, who report experiences of gender-based violence and the psychological burden of pre-existing traumas, Amanxeba. The study also explored the intersection of curriculum-related issues such as the digital divide, language of instruction and social class issues that were brought into sharper focus during the COVID-19 transition to online learning. The research underscores that to address marginalisation and epistemic exclusion of students, it is essential to understand the intersectional nature of their experiences. Such an understanding is key to tackling pedagogical challenges and advancing the processes of decolonisation and transformation in South African universities.

Olu phando luphonononga amava abafundi ngokwesini kwimfundo ephakamileyo yoMzantsi Afrika, kugxilwe ngokukodwa kwiintshukumo ze-#MustFall kunye nexesha le-COVID-19 njengeemeko iiyunivesithi ezizifumana zikuzo. Emva kokutshintshela enkulekweni koMzantsi Afrika ngo-1994, urhulumente wazisa imigaqo-nkqubo ejolise ekuhoyeni ukungabandakanywa nokungalingani kwamandulo kumaziko karhulumente. Ngelixa le migaqo-nkqubo ibizama ukudala iindawo ezibandakanya wonke umntu, imiba yenyhweba kubantu abathile nengcinezelo isaqhubeka kwimfundo ephakamileyo. Olu phononongo, olumi kwiziko lemfundo ephakamileyo, lujolise ekuqiniseni ukuqonda kwethu imingeni abafundi abadibana nayo xa bejonga iyunivesithi njengendawo ebonakala ngeliso lenyama nendawo yokuhlala nokuhlalisana nabanye abantu. Ngokukodwa, luphanda indlela isini, njengolwakhiwo lwentlalo, esidibana ngayo nezinye iziphawuli-sazisi ezifana nobuhlanga, umgangatho wentlalo, isondo, njalo njalo ukubumba amava eempilo zabafundi. Olu phononongo lumisela umxholo kwiintshukumo ze-#MustFall eyayilinyathelo elibizela ukuba kupheliswe ubukoloniyali kwiiyunivesithi kunye nokukhatywa kokubhatalela imfundo njengomzuzu ophambili kubutshantliziyo babafundi. Lukwaphonononga ukuba isini siqhubeka sisebenze njani njengendlela yokudibanisa amava omfundi, ngexesha loluqhankqalazo nasemva kwalo. Olu phononongo lukwaqaqambisa indlela ubhubhane i-COVID-19 aveze kwaye wandisa ngayo ukungalingani okukhoyo kwinkqubo yemfundo ephakamileyo, ngakumbi kutshintsho lokufunda kwi-intanethi. Ngokusebenzisa inkcazo-bungcali i-intersectionality njengesixhobo sokubuza nokuziqhelanisa, olu phando lusebenzise amabali agxile kumava ngokuncokola, kunye neemethodoloji zomfanekiso-lizwi. Kubandakanywe abafundi abalishumi elinesibhozo abafundela izidanga nabasele benezidanga kwiYunivesithi i-Rhodes, kwiYunivesithi i-Nelson Mandela, kwiYunivesithi i-Fort Hare, nakwiYunivesithi i-Walter Sisulu. Olu phononongo lubonisa iziphumo eziphambili kwiindlela abafundi abafumanisa ngayo iindlela ezidibanayo zengcinezelo kunye nenyhweba, kuquka izithuko zobuhlanga ezichuliweyo, kunye nemingeni enxulumene nesondo, umgangatho wentlalo, impilo yengqondo, kunye nobudoda. Esinye isiphumo esibalulekileyo luluvo olubanzi phakathi kwabafundi ababhinqileyo lokungakhuseleki. Ababafundi baxela amava obundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini kunye nomthwalo wengqondo womonzakalo wangaphambili obusele ukhona, Amanxeba. Olu phando lukwaphonononga iziphumo zokudityaniswa kwemiba enxulumene nekharityhulam efana nomsantsa phakathi kwabo banofikelelo kubuchwepheshe, i-intanethi noqeqesho lolwazi lokufunda nokubhala lwedijithali kunye nabo bangalufumaniyo (okubizwa nje ngolwahlulo lwedijithali), ulwimi lokufundisa, kunye nemiba yomgangatho wentlalo eye yafakwa kwingqalelo ebukhali ngexesha lotshintsho lokufunda kwi-intanethi le-COVID-19. Olu phando lugxininisa ukuba ukuze kulungiswe ukujongelwa phantsi okuqhubekayo nokungabandakanywa kwabafundi ngokwengqiqo, kubalulekile ukuqonda ubume bokuhlangana kwamava abo. Oku kuqonda kungundoqo ekujonganeni nemingeni yokufundisa kunye nokuqhubela phambili iinkqubo zenguqu nokupheliswa kobukoloniyali kwiiyunivesithi zaseMzantsi Afrika.