We often speak about how every generation has a injustice to confront and correct, in bettering the circumstances they live under and ensuring that the coming generations will not experience such injustices or live in a society that considers it to be a norm.

Many are the issues that our country is facing at the moment, and indeed these issues do compete for limited resources. Even in the higher education space, young people are confronted by multiple challenges that they have to navigate in their aspiration to realise their liberation, however it may look to them. One such issue that affects the higher education and training space, and indeed society at large, is Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), with forms of sexual harassment being a common occurrence and a lived experience for too many.

Sexual harassment is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. Not only is the behaviour unwanted, this behaviour is also unwelcomed and not considered mutual at the point of its occurrence. When doing work with young people, both students and staff, it is evident that everyone in the audience would desire not to be a recipient of this conduct, nor would they desire to have someone close to them being subjected to such an experience. Through this work, we are also aware that what one person considers to be sexual in nature, doesn’t always mean that the next person holds the same view. What has also become explicitly clear is that people aren’t comfortable talking about sex publicly, not necessarily what their interests, desires and preferences may be, but the discomfort in the room is very evident even when asking a group of young people to define what they consider sex or a sexual act to be. This discomfort in talking openly about sex creates a challenge in navigating sexual relationships or finding expression of our sexual nature through the lens of consent.

Navigating sexual interactions through the lens of consent means that we become intentional in ensuring that when we interact with others, we are certain that the interaction is wanted and welcomed by all those involved. If we are to eradicate forms of sexual harassment, we will need to co-create a culture that values, cultivates and observes consent. Beyond interactions that are potentially sexual, a culture of consent, that encourages consensual interactions, encourages an etiquette that ensures that, whether I want to quickly use your pen or ask you out on a date, I will first ask and respect your response, regardless of whether I meant well or not. This is a culture that we can nurture, especially in the higher education and training space, due to the nature of its work in preparing individuals to add value and make meaningful contributions towards improving the communities to which they may return.

So during this youth month, let’s spend some time reflecting on our interactions with others and think about how we could nurture a culture of consent that would encourage young people to be more mindful of how they interact with others, without causing harm. The Transformation Office offers training, for both staff and students, on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence which covers the different forms of sexual harassment and what you can do to cultivate a culture of consent here at the university and beyond. For more information, contact Tumelo “Duke” Rasebopye at [email protected] or contact the Transformation Office at [email protected] .