Page 13 - VC 5 Year Review Report 2022

approximately three-quarters of the population (747 Universities must
million people) in sub-Saharan Africa have a mobile
connection, but only a third of these use a smartphone. play a central role in
Against this backdrop, the 2016 declaration by
the United Nations Human Rights Council of the any comprehensive
internet as a basic human right is pertinent. This is
complemented by the adoption of the African Union upskilling agenda by
Digital Transformation Strategy in February 2020 as a
step towards narrowing the digital divide by ensuring providing a wide
that access to digital technologies and the internet
are regarded as basic rights. These developments range of self-directed,
will assist residential universities seeking to scale
up flexible, technology-rich approaches to learning, “just-in-time” learning
which provide students with inclusive learning opportunities and
environments and experiences.
credentialing systems.
4. Future world of work

Complex forces are shaping the workforce of the
future and technological advances, automation, and
artificial intelligence are amplifying the importance
of knowledge, skills and attributes that are uniquely
human, such as creativity, imagination, and critical and those aged between 18 to 24 years being most
thinking. The World Economic Forum has estimated likely to experience physical violence.
that 50 percent of all employees will need significant
re- or upskilling by 2025. The Sub-Saharan Africa and The Policy Framework Addressing Gender-based
Latin America regions could see over 7% additional Violence in the Post-School Education Sector has an
GDP by 2030 if they invest in upskilling to propel appropriate focus on challenging social norms that
the transition to an economy where human labour is perpetuate gender inequality, while also improving
increasingly complemented and augmented by new survivor support services. Higher education
technology, improving the overall quality of jobs. institutions need to intensify efforts to eliminate GBV,
discrimination based on gender, and patriarchal
Universities must play a central role in any attitudes. This is especially urgent considering that,
comprehensive upskilling agenda by providing a according to the South African Medical Research
wide range of self-directed, “just-in-time” learning Council, ten percent of all rape cases reported
opportunities and credentialing systems. Successful in South Africa stem from institutions of higher
reskilling starts with knowing what skills are needed, learning. Given that women constitute 59 percent
then offering tailored learning opportunities to of all students at public universities in South Africa,
address these needs through inculcating a culture of social norms that perpetuate gender inequality and
lifelong learning. Several areas need urgent attention toxic masculinity need to be challenged.
such as skills development programmes that facilitate
articulation between formal and informal learning. 6. Urbanisation and human settlements

5. Gender-based discrimination More than half of the people the world (55%) live
and violence in urban areas and the percentage of city dwellers
is projected to increase to 68% and reach a total of
The feminisation of poverty remains an intractable 6.3-billion people by 2050. This will add 2.3-billion
challenge with women disproportionately affected more people to urban areas. Most of this increase
by limited access to safe places of work, education, (about 90%) is likely to occur in the two poorest
skills, resources, and technology. The rate of femicide regions of the world, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan
in South Africa is five times higher than the global Africa, where the urban population is likely to double
average, with women from low-income households in the next 20 years.

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