The University of Cape Town is deeply committed to advancing gender equality and ensuring equitable access, participation, and representation for women across all areas of university life. This commitment is embedded in UCT’s Vision 2030, which positions the university as an engaged and inclusive African institution that contributes to a fair and just society. Guided by the values of integrity, compassion, and accountability, UCT promotes gender justice through policy, practice, and culture. UCT’s non-discrimination framework is well established and articulated across a suite of formal, Council-approved policies that collectively support non-discrimination against women.
Non-discriminatory admissions and fair access
UCT’s Admissions Policy guarantees that all applicants are treated equitably and evaluated on their academic merit and potential. The policy explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, sex, race, sexual orientation, disability, or any other personal characteristic, aligning with both South Africa’s constitutional principles and UCT’s own Policy on Employment Equity and Transformation.
In practice, this means that women applicants—especially in historically male-dominated disciplines such as engineering, actuarial science, and the natural sciences—benefit from targeted outreach, recruitment efforts, and scholarships aimed at increasing their representation.
Gender equality framework and institutional leadership
UCT’s commitment to gender equality is supported by a robust institutional framework led by the Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC) and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Transformation, Student Affairs and Social Responsiveness. The Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Action Plan, introduced under the UCT Sexual Misconduct Policy, outlines the university’s proactive measures to promote gender safety, respect, and empowerment.
Ongoing gender equity initiatives include:
- Implementation of the Gender Equality Plan: Translating national and university-level gender equity policies into actionable programmes.
- Promotion of Women in Leadership: Ensuring gender parity in academic and administrative leadership, in line with UCT’s Employment Equity Plan (2022–2025).
- Monitoring and Reporting: Regular assessment of gender representation data across faculties and pay scales, with annual reports submitted to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
UCT Policy on Discrimination and Harassment (2017, updated 2021)
This is the most directly relevant policy for demonstrating non-discrimination against women.
Key points
- Explicitly prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sex, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, or sexual orientation.
- Applies to all staff, students, and visitors.
- Provides mechanisms for reporting, investigating, and resolving cases of gender-based discrimination or harassment.
- Implemented through the Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC).
Citation
“UCT is committed to providing an environment that is free from unfair discrimination and harassment. No person shall be unfairly discriminated against on the basis of race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language or birth.”
(Source: UCT Policy on Discrimination and Harassment, revised 2021 – administered by the OIC)