Guided by the Constitution, significant gains in both public policy and legislation have been achieved to end all forms of bias, discrimination, and victimisation on the basis of gender. All components of the South African social order have, as their Constitutional duty, the obligation to entrench the respect, promotion and protection of gender equality.

Yet despite these significant strides, the Constitution’s promise of dignity and equality for all and in particular for women, remains an aspiration. Women and girl children battle with multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination which inhibit the attainment of substantive gender equality. Our society is beset by numerous scourges targeted at women such as rape, sexual violence, femicide and gender-based violence. Women grapple with feeling vulnerable and unsafe in our society.  Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has largely exacerbated the vulnerability of women and contributed to deepening levels of inequality for women.

The recent period of global health, economic, and climate crises; as well as national and local unrest and catastrophes, have exacerbated and elevated women’s vulnerabilities to inequalities and human rights abuses. Furthermore, the global shift of the standard workplace from the ‘public’ to the ‘private’ has had a particular impact on women, whose political struggles have historically centered on the gendered division and allocation of labour and space.

Now more than ever, an “all-of-society” approach is required in order to further advance the historical gains of women’s struggles. It is our collective responsibility, across society, to emulate the spirit and values of the ‘unity in struggle’ exemplified by the 1956 Women’s March.
The SAHRC re-emphasises our commitment to gender equality, in line with our mandate of ensuring the respect, promotion and protection of rights in the Bill of Rights, which includes the rights of women.

The Commission recognises that if we are to be truly an egalitarian society, there is an urgent need to address all the disproportionate burdens experienced by women and girls. The Commission thus calls on government, civil society, faith-based organisations, business and society at large to honour women’s historical struggles for emancipation by collaborating in the quest to uphold, protect and promote women’s rights.

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Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission
Gushwell Brooks – Communications Co-ordinator Tel: 082 645 8573 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.