Legislation and implementation don’t match – rights group

THERE is a disconnect between what the legislature says about gender equality and how it is implemented in communities, the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) says.

CGE spokesperson Javu Baloyi said the commission had also “realised that the absence of a national co-ordinating structure on gender-based violence has a ripple effect on the work that seeks to address the scourge”.

He said studies and projects undertaken by the commission over the past few years had discovered that “on reflection, South Africa should be commended on its attempt to acknowledge women’s equality in its policies and legislative framework”.

“The lack of change thereof is a result of the misalignment between legislative priorities and implementation.

“South Africa needs to do more work to make these policies a reality for women,” Baloyi said.

“The collegiality between the Gender Commission and the Ministry of Women in the Presidency in various dialogues and nationwide campaigns in addressing issues of women empowerment and genderbased violence against women has seen enormous strides being made in conscientising society.

“The #100MenMarch and #TotalShutDown that the commission participated in (recently) also helped to raise the conscious awareness about the rampant abuse that is taking place against women and children,” Baloyi said.

He said the commission’s African Gender Development Index study showed that more girls finish school and enter institutions of higher learning.

“However, when examining employment statistics, we see that more men are in wage-paying jobs, in high-paying jobs and in managerial or decision-making positions than women. This is as a result of the deeply entrenched patriarchal system that benefits men.

“As a result, patriarchy and its tendency to privilege men makes a mockery of the strides made to reach gender equality, as women continue to be unequally positioned in the workplace.

“Women still bear the brunt of gender-based violence...” Baloyi said.

Brand SA chief marketing officer Linda MagapatonaSangaret said that despite progressive laws and policies designed to address the scourge, they had not yet translated into action on the ground.

“Violence against women is a shameful reality throughout our society. It is rooted in gender inequalities, and it still far too often goes unnoticed and unchallenged.

“The fight for the removal of violence against women in our country is a fight that each and every one of us must take part in. It is our duty to stand up for women by raising awareness to this injustice.

“We call on South Africans to be brave – stand up, and speak out against gender based violence,” Magapatona-Sangaret said.

Official data released in June confirmed that femicide and sexual crimes against women in the country have increased by an alarming rate over the past two years.

Statistics SA revealed in its report titled Crime against Women in South Africa that the murder rate of women shot up by a shocking 117% between 2015 and 2016/17.

The number of women who experienced sexual offences also jumped from 31 665 in 2015/16 to 70 813 in 2016/17, an increase of 53%.

The murder of girl children is also soaring.