The University of Cape Town demonstrates a strong institutional commitment to promoting gender equality and ensuring equitable access and participation for women across all stages of university life—from application and admission to academic progression and leadership. This commitment is deeply embedded in UCT’s Vision 2030, which positions transformation, excellence, and sustainability as the three pillars guiding all aspects of the university’s mission.

UCT’s Admissions Policy explicitly upholds the principles of fairness, inclusivity, and redress. According to the university’s official Admissions Fact Sheet (UCT, 2023):

“UCT’s admissions policy balances merit, disadvantage and diversity. The policy ensures that no applicant is discriminated against based on race, gender, or socio-economic background, and aims to redress historical inequities while maintaining academic excellence.”

This clause guarantees that all applicants—regardless of gender—are assessed on their academic merit and potential, reflecting UCT’s non-discriminatory approach to access and participation.

The Admissions Policy is set out in the Undergraduate Prospectus annually, approved by UCT Council. The policy in effect in 2024 was approved and published in the 2024 Undergraduate Prospectus.

In alignment with this policy, UCT’s Transformation Framework and Employment Equity Policy extend these commitments across the institution, establishing a culture of gender equity in both staff and student recruitment. These frameworks articulate UCT’s obligation to:

“Create a university community where gender equity and inclusivity are core to all recruitment, teaching, and research processes.”
(University of Cape Town, Transformation Office, 2024)

Through its Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC), UCT operationalises these principles by offering ongoing gender-equity training, policy implementation support, and mechanisms for reporting and addressing discrimination or harassment. The OIC collaborates with faculties and departments to promote women’s representation in disciplines where they are historically underrepresented, such as engineering, actuarial science, and technology.

Together, these policies and institutional mechanisms demonstrate UCT’s sustained effort to remove barriers to women’s participation in higher education. They reflect both the university’s values of fairness, integrity and service, and its mission to contribute actively to a more equitable and inclusive South African society.

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