By Mmathabo Maebela
Did the #FeesMustFall movement actually transform gender realities or was that just a box that got ticked?
Research by Asiphe Mxalisa, a lecturer at the Centre for Postgraduate Studies, explored intersectionality in the experiences of students navigating higher education spaces in South Africa after the #FeesMustFall movement amid the chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her findings paint a sobering image of ever-present adversities faced by many black female and queer students at South African universities.
At a bold lunchtime seminar hosted last Friday by the RU Department of Politics and International Studies and chaired by honours candidate Tatenda Mbili, Mxalisa presented her findings which include evidence that students continue living with the insistent fear of being unheard, unseen, and unsafe in institutions.
“The first set of my findings looks at comprehending the university as a social and physical space that extends beyond physical design and encompasses elements such as connectivity, security, belonging, and individual experiences,” Mxalisa said.
To understand this space, she collaborated with students from various universities, making use of the concept of “ukuncoka,” which translates to “to chat”, to create a space for these conversations to exist.
Her research was not just an academic project, but a journey towards understanding the intersectional experiences of various students. Through what Mxalisa called “an intersectionality walk,” she became aware of how social structures reward or punish individuals based on random characteristics. The walk became an opportunity to educate people about their privileges, access, and marginalisation.
“It is so easy to focus on our oppressions, and it is so difficult to assess our privileges,” she said, to hums and nods around the room.
Mxalisa also found, in her exploration of the Covid-19 era, that many students faced the realities of a devastating digital divide. For her, there is a need for institutions to think about how this idea of blended learning disadvantages those in lower socioeconomic backgrounds while benefiting those with stable internet access. She explained it as the “need for a more inclusive approach to ensure education and equality, considering students’ diverse backgrounds”.
Mxalisa did not shy away from topics such as power dynamics, and how they build insecurities. She mentioned an important societal proverb, “indoda ayikhali”, in her explanation of how ideas of masculinity influence the perspective of wellness and mental health amongst male students.
She also reported her insights on power dynamics within activism. She spoke about how a male student leader during the #FeesMustFall protests had assaulted a female student but was never punished. The result was a betrayal and the silencing of women.
What truly stood out in the presentation was the way Mxalisa acknowledged her research collaborators by using photo voice as a vital method of resistance which enabled students to visibly express pain, fear, and resilience. She also treated her interviews as a healing space for students recounting difficult experiences such as abuse at home.
While Mxalisa’s research revealed the importance of seeing higher education spaces as more than places of learning, it also revealed a contradiction. These spaces are not safe but, for some students, they are an escape from conditions they are exposed to at home. Where would we then draw the line between the safety and the unsafety of higher education spaces?
Through these testimonies, Mxalisa also discovered the connection between GBV and the deeply racialised and classist housing conditions that some institutions have, showing how racially divided South Africa still is. In this case, Mxalisa’s call was clear: how we address GBV must be intersectional. It must create a safer space that is inclusive of gender, class, and race. A space that responds to the idea of supporting healing for survivors of GBV.
At the end, a question from the audience raised a vital concern. “What are universities doing with this archival work, because these issues have been researched over and over again?”
