Page 2 - Advancing Life - January 2026
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2 ADVANCINGLIFE, FEBRUARY 2026
NEWS Issue 05
LBQ students also reported The co-developers contributed
experiences of homophobia as experts with lived experience
and discrimination on campus, and ensured the program fit
which contributes to their LBQ women’s unique needs
vulnerability to non-partner and experiences.
sexual violence.
What Have Students Said
What Do Male Students Say About the Interventions?
About Sexual Violence?
First-year female students who
Focus group discussions participated in the Ntombi
with male students revealed Vimbela! workshops gave
important insights. Some said positive feedback. They gained
men use sexual violence to crucial knowledge about sexual
show power over women. Some violence and their rights and
downplayed actions, like sexual feeling more confident to seek
harassment, not seen as real help after assault or partner
violence. violence.
There was also a refusal to Skills-building in assertive
accept non-partner rape as a communication and safe sex
campus problem, blaming it negotiation helped improve
on male perpetrators who were their relationships and their
not students or staff. Most felt ability to avoid risky situations.
they had a right to sex with
their girlfriends, though some LBQ students who participated
disagreed, showing hope for in Vimbela Uvikile! also said
change. the mental health information
helped them improve
Many men found it hard to awareness about mental
share feelings or ask for help if health and practice self-care.
they had struggles with mental The workshops created a safe
health, and this can also be space for emotional relief
connected to violence. They and connection, helped them
Promising Sexual often avoided counselling, improve communication,
problem-solving, and
saying it didn’t fit their culture
and would be more likely to seek
managing anger in healthier
Violence Prevention help from a male counsellor, of ways. Though discussing
which there were very few.
mental health was hard,
they appreciated the support
Knowing these views is key to
provided through the social
and Mental Health Promotion Interventions for the team that is also working worker.
towards programmes that can
Taking the Work Further
reach and help male students.
Students in South African Higher Education Students as Partners in We continue to engage with
Research and Intervention the Department of Higher
Education and Training and
The research was not only about management at TVET colleges
By: Mercilene Machisa, Carrie health problems are among What Drives Sexual gathering data but also about
Brook Sumner, and Pinky female students, what causes Violence and Mental Health forming strong partnerships and universities to expand
Mahlangu these challenges, and to develop Problems? with students. From the these programs beyond the
programmes to address them. beginning, students took part pilot sites. The goal is to reach
Female students face many more institutions across South
or over eight years, as How Common Are Sexual interconnected challenges as community advisors and Africa and for the team to
Fresearchers at the South Violence and Mental Health that increase their risk of co-developers, helping to shape better understand how the
African Medical Research Problems? sexual violence and poor research questions, surveys, and programmes affect different
Council’s Gender and Health mental health. These include the design of workshops and groups of students, including
Unit and the Mental Health, We found that sexual violence is experiences like childhood intervention programmes. first-year female, LBQ and male
Alcohol, Substance Use and alarmingly widespread. About abuse, other traumas, hunger, In the Ntombi Vimbela! students.
Tobacco Unit we have been 20% of female students aged mental health challenges, and intervention, a sexual violence
conducting research amongst 18–30 in selected TVETs and risky sexual behaviours, such risk reduction and mental We also recognise the urgent
young women at public public universities reported as dating older men or being in health programme developed need to speed up ongoing
universities and Technical experiencing sexual violence relationships mainly for money for first-year female students, work with male students to
and Vocational Education in the year before they were or gifts. students were trained as peer change harmful attitudes and
and Training (TVET) colleges surveyed. facilitators who helped deliver encourage respect for diversity
across South Africa. Our goal This includes 17% who Pressures from academic work, workshops in a relatable and and healthy relationships on
is to understand how common experienced sexual violence money problems like delayed supportive way. They co-created campuses.
sexual violence (which means by partners and 7.5% who funding or family demands content on sexual rights, A Message of Hope and
any unwanted sexual act or experienced rape by non- and poor budgeting, difficulty assertive communication, self- Support
behaviour done without a partners. Many of these female finding residences, and social defense skills, gender and social
person’s consent) and mental students also suffer from pressures to fit in also harm norm changes, and mental well- Our team supports the
poor mental health. Among mental health. Many female being. implementation of evidence-
They co-created the students surveyed, 43% students experience controlling based programmes that help
content on sexual reported signs of depression, or abusive male partners, which For the Vimbela Uvikile! young people stay safe and
worsens their mental well-
intervention, eight LBQ
healthy. We encourage students
rights, assertive 9% had symptoms of post- being. students worked closely with and young people to seek
traumatic stress disorder
communication, (PTSD), and 21% had thought Similar patterns of abuse the research team to design a help for poor mental health
self-defense skills, about suicide. are seen among lesbian, 12-session programme that also and report sexual violence.
There are services available
addresses minority stress (the
gender and social norm About half of the students also bisexual, and queer women stress one experiences when you on campuses and in local
(LBQ) students, with links to
changes, and mental reported binge drinking, which depression and low self-esteem, are part of a minority group, like communities, and reaching out
sexual minority), mental health
can improve well-being.
was linked to an increased risk
well-being. of sexual violence. and violence perpetration promotion, self-acceptance, and
in intimate relationships.
violence use.
