A university in South Africa has come under fire after revelations were made that it kicked out pregnant students from the residence when they get to their third trimester.
The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) legal adviser Mlondozi Vava revealed that the University of Zululand expelled the students and does not provide prenatal services, as heard from the student representative council (SRC).
“The SRC advised the CGE that when a student is pregnant while residing at the university residence, the university expels the student from the residence when they are approaching their last trimester of the pregnancy,” he told a delegation.
It was further revealed that the university did not have ambulance services for students experiencing pregnancy-related emergencies.
University of Zululand vice-chancellor, Professor Xoliswa Mtose, expressed her shock at the finding, denying the allegations.
I need to go back and investigate and interrogate. If it’s true or there are people (who) have been discriminated against like that, we need to know and correct that,” she told TimesLIVE.
She further admitted that the university has had problems with pregnant students, most of who opt for illegal abortions, according to Sowetan Live.
The revelation is part of an investigation into gender transformations in institutions of higher education, including the University of Zululand.
The investigation highlighted that the university is dominated by men, with women making up a higher percentage at the administrative level.
To this, the Vice-Chancellor responded that the gap is due to the fact that few female students have masters degrees required for senior or managerial positions.
She went ahead to add that the university is serious about gender transformation.
Pregnancy in schools is frowned upon, especially in primary and secondary schools across Africa. In Tanzania and Burundi, pregnant students are not only banned from schools, but they are also barred from going back to school once they have given birth.
