The Sexual Violence Research Initiative, in partnership with Stellenbosch University and with funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), is conducting research and research priority setting on gender-based violence (GBV) in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Africa and the Middle East. The objectives of this work are to: (1) provide an overview of existing evidence on GBV in HEIs in Africa and the Middle East, (2) analyse GBV-related policies in HEIs and the extent to which they are implemented as intended, (3) analyse the extent to which HEIs provide an effective entry point for GBV prevention and response, and (4) establish priority research questions on GBV in HEIs.  

To meet the second objective, we are conducting key informant interviews (KIIs) with staff members of HEIs who are knowledgeable about institutional policies to prevent and respond to different forms of GBV. We are interested in understanding the key characteristics of policies targeting GBV in HEIs, the strengths and limitations of these policies, to what extent they are implemented as intended, and what works and doesn’t work in their implementation. If you are a staff member of a HEI in Africa or the Middle East and are interested in participating in a KII, we would love to hear from you. You would spend between 60 and 90 minutes answering questions about your perceptions and experiences related to GBV policy development and implementation in your higher education institution. 

The study has been approved by Stellenbosch University’s Health Research Ethics Committee (reference number N23/11/138). Both you and the university in which you work will remain completely anonymous. Neither your name, university, nor any other identifying information will be included in any reports or research outputs, and any identifying details will be removed from all interview transcripts. Your confidentiality will be maintained through rigorous data protection protocols and only the researchers involved in this study will have access to the data. To express interest in participating in this important study, please contact the SVRI research team: Julienne Corboz (julienne@svri.org) or Priti Prabhughate (priti@svri.org). We would be happy to share more details about the study, including ethical and consent procedures. Read the invitation in Arabic, French and Portuguese.