Women Must Take Their Rightful Place In Society

This Women’s Month, South Africa has much to be proud of.

Firstly, half of all ministers in the new Cabinet are women. Juxtapose this with pre-1994 South Africa, when black women were not allowed to vote, then follow the development of women’s rights over the past 25 years and it will become clear that our nation has much to celebrate this August.

Women’s rights to life, dignity and privacy are well protected by the country’s progressive Constitution and government has made significant progress in empowering women in the political, public and educational spheres.

This includes improving women’s access to quality healthcare, quality education, skills development and the fight against HIV and AIDS.

In fact, the promotion of gender equality is an integrated theme that runs throughout the National Development Plan.

Legislation has been put in place to promote the rights of women, including the Domestic Violence Act and the Sexual Offences Act, which reformed the law relating to sexual offences.