The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) says it is concerned that the Department of Basic Education’s draft guidelines on school uniforms lack a human rights framework and are discriminatory.
The commission recently urged the department to make school uniforms gender-neutral, saying that the move would protect children who are members of the LGBTQI+ community against bullying.
It has been reported that transgender and homosexual pupils were being bullied at certain schools in the Western Cape.
Commissioner Busisiwe Deyi says children’s rights are of utmost importance.
“Our uniforms should not be used as mechanisms to discriminate against gender nonconforming, transgender, and genderqueer children. There should never be a point where uniform or uniform codes of conduct should be used to deprive children of their right to access to education,” says Deyi.
Below is the interview with Commissioner Busisiwe Deyi:
![[File Image]: Dripping taps can be seen in the above illustration.](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SABC-News-WaterR.jpg)
