Durban - The FW de Klerk Foundation, founded by former President FW de Klerk, has committed itself to promoting and defending the rights of women in South Africa.
This, as the country celebrates its 27th national Women's day in commemoration of the women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956, to protest against the extension of the hated apartheid Pass Laws to black women.
The Foundation said that its annual Human Rights Report Card was released recently which showed that South African women have a healthy participation in politics but not so much in the economy.
The foundation also decried the statistics behind gender based violence and women who deal with traditional gender hierarchies, as unsatisfactory.
“Recently, the FW de Klerk Foundation released its annual Human Rights Report Card, which reviews human rights practices and trends in South Africa. It is interesting to note, that according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2021, South Africa occupied 18th place in the world in terms of gender equality. South African women were in 14th place when it came to political empowerment – but only in 92nd place in respect of economic participation and opportunity.
The Foundation added: “However, the lived realities of many South African women – particularly those who must still contend with traditional gender hierarchies and with unacceptable levels of rape and gender-based violence (GBV)- is inequality.
“We must be determined in our resolve to build a South Africa in which women will enjoy all the rights, freedoms, and liberties that our Constitution guarantees.
“We commit ourselves to defending and promoting women's rights, and we call upon our fellow-South Africans to do the same,” the Foundation said.
IOL