About Walter Sisulu
Get in touch
Email Address:
Contact Numbers:
Mthatha: 047 502 2100
Butterworth: 047 401 6000
East London: 043 702 9200
Potsdam: 043 708 5200
Chiselhurst: 043 709 4000
5. Gender Equality
At iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu, gender equity and female empowerment are central to institutional governance, academic advancement, and community upliftment. Through dedicated research academies, leadership mentorship clubs, global policy partnerships, and community-engaged advocacy, t he university actively works to dismantle gender barriers in academia, STEM, agriculture, and rural society.
Research, Leadership & Academic Advancement
- Empower Women in Research Affiliation (EWIRA). Read the story. Established by the Directorate of Research and Innovation under the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG) and officially launched in December 2024, EWIRA is an organisation created by women for women to promote female researchers across Walter Sisulu. Mandated to increase active female researchers, boost university accredited research outputs, improve postgraduate throughput, and assist women academics in securing external research funding. Hosts writing retreats and capacity-building workshops across campuses (including Buffalo City, Potsdam, and East London), providing hands-on mentorship to assist female academics and postgraduate students with PhD completion, research proposal development, AI integration, reference management, and manuscript publication.
- G20 EMPOWER Best Practices Playbook 2025 Knowledge Partnership. iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu served as an official Knowledge Partner for the G20 EMPOWER Best Practices Playbook 2025, gathering international data and authoring analysis to drive women's leadership, economic participation, and financial independence across G20 economies.
- Prof Xaba-Mokoena Women-in-Health Club. Read the story. Launched in 2025 by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences to honor founding dean Professor Marina Xaba-Mokoena. Establishes a structured mentorship and leadership pipeline to train and coach female medical students and researchers for executive leadership, clinical excellence, and decision-making roles.
- Female Agri-Preneurship & Land Reform Studies. Research conducted by Public Management academics investigates the structural lack of land access for female agri-preneurs in the Eastern Cape, addressing patriarchal barriers that subordinate women within rural business environments.
- Rural Socio-Cultural Gender Barriers Research. At the SAHUDA Conference hosted at Walter Sisulu, research highlighted traditional and cultural restrictions limiting women's participation and ownership in rural cattle farming, advocating for targeted microfinance and agricultural mentorship.
Women's Access, STEM Participation & Student Leadership
- Scarce Skills & AI Training Participation. In the artificial intelligence and data management scarce-skills partnership with NTG Solutions, 60% of the 150 enrolled beneficiaries are women, directly encouraging female participation in underrepresented tech fields.
- Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Male-Dominated Sectors. Read the story. Through flagship events such as the Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Annual Lecture, Walter Sisulu highlights female alumni pioneers —such as Nosipho Siwisa-Damasane, the first woman globally to run a commercial port —to inspire female students to enter and lead in male-dominated logistics and corporate spaces.
- Student Women Leadership Celebrations. The Buffalo City Campus hosted the Women’s Gala Dinner under the theme "Unleashing the Power of Women: Leadership, Innovation, and Excellence", recognising high- achieving female student leaders.
Women's Progress, Policy Advocacy & Male Allyship
- Rural Women's Land Rights & Public Health Outreach. In a public panel hosted by the Public Health Department, guest speakers including Queen Thina Ndamase of Nyandeni Kingdom advocated for rural women's land ownership rights and equal economic standing, integrating International Rural Women's Day awareness into community-engaged health programs.
- Men in Action & Positive Masculinity. Student representatives from Walter Sisulu's Men in Action initiative participated in the University of the Free State Men's Conference to address positive masculinity, combat gender-based violence (GBV), and promote equal gender relations on campus and in surrounding communities
This account is drawn from the iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu Sustainability Impact Progress Report, prepared against the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings methodology.
The Sustainable Development Goals icons are United Nations marks, used here for information. The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States. Read the Sustainable Development Goals.
