By Thapelo Molefe
The call for urgent and decisive action to advance gender equality took centre stage as South Africa marked International Women’s Day on Saturday.
With gender-based violence at crisis levels, economic exclusion persisting and women’s rights facing setbacks globally, political and labour leaders emphasised that progress cannot wait.
“We cannot afford to move at a slow pace while women continue to suffer injustices daily,” the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said.
The EFF, African National Congress and the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) commemorated the day by reaffirming their commitment to women’s rights.
While their approaches varied, they all acknowledged that systemic barriers continued to hold women back and that the fight for true emancipation was far from over.
The ANC used the occasion to reflect on the role of women in South Africa’s liberation and the party’s ongoing efforts to dismantle patriarchy. It highlighted legislative measures aimed at gender equality, including laws strengthening protections against gender-based violence, promoting equal pay and enhancing economic inclusion.
“The fight for women’s emancipation is not a battle for women alone—it requires the collective efforts of all South Africans,” said ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.
The ruling party acknowledged the progress made in increasing women’s representation in government and business, but admitted that many women, especially in rural and working-class communities, still faced economic and social inequalities.
Recognising that gender-based violence remained a national crisis, the ANC reaffirmed its commitment to the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which aimed to drive systemic change.
“Despite our progress, we acknowledge that much more still needs to be done to achieve full gender equality,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.
In contrast to the ANC’s policy-driven approach, the EFF took a far more militant stance, declaring that women remained the most oppressed group in society and demanded urgent action against patriarchy, economic exclusion and gender-based violence.
The party painted a grim picture of the challenges women continue to face, citing statistics that highlighted the severity of gender-based violence.
Eleven women are murdered daily in South Africa, and 131 rapes are reported every day.
The EFF accused the ANC government of failing to tackle this crisis effectively, stating that “the ANC government has failed to combat effectively the crisis of femicide and sexual violence in the country”.
Beyond South Africa, the EFF pointed to the erosion of women’s rights globally, from Afghanistan’s school bans for girls to attacks on reproductive rights in the United States.
It also emphasised the economic exclusion of Black African women, noting that their unemployment rate stood at over 38%, significantly higher than the national average.
To combat these injustices, the EFF pledged to push for specialised policing units to handle crimes against women, enforce stricter gender justice training for law enforcement and ensure at least 50% representation of women in leadership roles.
The party also reiterated its call for the decriminalisation of sex work to protect women in the industry from exploitation.
“Now is the time to accelerate action,” the party asserted.
While political parties focused on legislative and systemic reforms, Fedusa directed its efforts towards workplace equality and economic justice.
The labour federation stressed that true gender equality was impossible without fair wages, safe working environments and stronger protections for women in leadership.
Fedusa reaffirmed its commitment to achieving 50-50 gender representation in leadership by 2027 and called for the full implementation of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 190, which seeks to eliminate workplace violence and harassment.
Highlighting the economic barriers that continue to sideline women, Fedusa quoted ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo: “Some 708 million women are outside of the labour force because they need to attend to domestic chores and family responsibilities, even though they would like to work for pay… Women’s rights are human rights, and all women are working women.”
The federation also underscored the importance of ensuring that all women, including those in marginalised and vulnerable positions, have access to economic opportunities.
“True equality is only possible when women have equal access to opportunities, equal pay and a safe, supportive environment free from discrimination and violence,” Fedusa’s secretariat stated.
Despite their ideological differences, the ANC, EFF and Fedusa all underscored the urgent need for change, agreeing that gender equality must be a national priority.
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