Yumna Patel

Mrs Yumna Patel is a trauma specialist, counsellor and mediator who is serving as a senior institutional leader responsible for the University of Cape Town’s response to discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, bullying, and gender-based violence.

As Manager: Discrimination, Harassment and Violence within the Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC), she provides executive oversight of case management systems, safeguarding mechanisms, and policy implementation frameworks that govern the university’s response to harm. Her portfolio includes risk governance, complex case oversight, procedural integrity, interdepartmental coordination, and the strengthening of institutional accountability structures.

Mrs Patel leads the development and operationalisation of trauma-informed institutional practice ensuring that psychosocial insight informs policy application, reporting processes, and prevention strategy. She provides strategic guidance on high-risk and sensitive matters, supports decision-making at senior levels, and contributes to the refinement of university regulations aligned with South African legislative frameworks.

With a background in trauma therapy and nervous system regulation, her leadership integrates psychological expertise with systemic reform. She is committed to building responsive systems that protect dignity, uphold fairness, mitigate institutional risk, and advance a campus culture grounded in safety, inclusion, and ethical responsibility.

Through strategic oversight, policy stewardship, and cross-sector collaboration, Mrs Patel plays a central role in strengthening UCT’s institutional capacity to prevent, address, and respond to discrimination and violence within higher education.