BOSA to pursue three avenues to advance safety and economic empowerment of women in South Africa

7 August 2024

Ahead of Women’s Day this Friday, 09 August 2024, Build One South Africa (BOSA) has decided to focus its agenda on advocating for three tangible interventions to promote the safety and economic empowerment of women in South Africa.

We believe this approach steers away from empty gestures and platitudes, and instead meaningfully forces change that improves the lives and living conditions of women.

Almost seventy years after the seminal 1956 march, South African women still have to fight for material equity in the economy, for bona-fide power in public leadership, and for recognition of the leadership roles they already occupy in society.

In truth, while some are being pampered, others are the face of poverty, demonstrating the state of inequality that extends throughout society. Today whether you carry a pass or not, you as a woman still face varying degrees of prejudice.

The intersectional nature of women’s oppression in South Africa – economic, social, cultural and political – is cause for concern.

Women continue to bear the brunt of violent attacks in South Africa. In the first three months of 2023, 1,0512 women were raped, 1,485 attempted murders of women were reported, 969 women were killed, and over 15,000 women were assaulted.

SA averages 40 000 rapes a year, and the rate at which women are killed by intimate partners in SA is five times higher than the global average.

90 037 girls aged 10 to 19 years gave birth from March 2021 to April 2022. Approximately 30% of teenagers in South Africa report having been pregnant, the majority unplanned. 188 teenage girls under the age of 18 were married off in 2021.

The majority of SA homes are female headed, with 41% of children living with single mothers.

At the end of 2022, 47% of South African women were recorded as economically inactive. Men earn on average 16% more than women for performing the same job. Only one third of JSE board members are female.

Intervention One

We will be engaging with the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) to present formal proposals aimed at implementing impactful interventions to empower women in the economy. These interventions are crucial for addressing the challenges faced by the 5.5 million unemployed women in South Africa, as well as those currently in the workforce who struggle to advance and those without formal education and training.

The Commission for Gender Equality Act 39 of 1996 grants the CGE extensive powers. According to the Act, "In order to achieve its object referred to in section 119(3) of the Constitution, the Commission (a) shall monitor and evaluate policies and practices of (i) organs of state at any level; (ii) statutory bodies or functionaries; (iii) public bodies and authorities; and (iv) private businesses, enterprises and institutions, in order to promote gender equality and may make any recommendations that the Commission deems necessary."

Despite its constitutionally mandated role as a Chapter 9 institution, the Commission has not fully delivered on its mandate. This engagement aims to support and strengthen the CGE's efforts in promoting gender equality and empowering women in South Africa.

Intervention Two

We are launching a petition to demand that the National Register of Sexual Offenders (NRSO) be made public and easily accessible. Currently, individuals must pay R150 and wait a minimum of six weeks to check whether they are listed on the register. This process is not only cumbersome but also discourages transparency and accountability.

It is time to increase the pressure on the naming and shaming of sexual offenders and those who abuse women in South Africa. Making the NRSO publicly available will serve as a critical tool in holding offenders accountable and protecting potential victims. Our petition aims to push for this change, ensuring that the public can access this vital information without unnecessary barriers

Intervention Three

We are calling on all nine premiers to establish provincial task forces dedicated to addressing gender-based violence (GBV). The Commission for Gender Equality has reported that, despite increasing rates of GBV across the country, there is also a rising trend in the withdrawal of cases. Victims often cite court delays and the lengthy finalization of DNA tests as reasons for withdrawing their cases.

This situation reflects a deep-seated mistrust in the justice system, spanning from the South African Police Service (SAPS) to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

To restore confidence and provide effective support to victims, it is crucial to have dedicated provincial GBV task forces. These task forces would work to streamline processes, expedite case handling, and ensure that justice is served. Establishing them will demonstrate a commitment to combating GBV and protecting the rights and dignity of victims across South Africa

In a country where - as was the case in 1956 - women still bear the brunt of spatial injustice, economic deprivation, and social instability, we need to remember the unifying force of the women of 1956 who dared to rise above their circumstances.

On Women’s Day this Friday, BOSA will stand with those who are already taking political power, building equity, and sitting at the tables where the political and economic futures of their country are being discussed. Our role is to open the doors for more women to do the same.

Issued by Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, Deputy Leader, BOSA, 7 August 2024