Gender Inequality Impacts Realisation of Socio-Economic Rights
Date: 18 April 2023
By Nothemba Sonjica
Socio-economic rights such as healthcare, education, shelter, and social security are essential in realizing the right to human dignity. From a gender perspective the Commission for Gender Equality (The CGE) recognizes how gender inequality has affected access to these rights.
The ripple effect of this inequality has resulted in the Commission pushing gender mainstreaming and upskilling of women to enable women from different socio-economic classes to have access to adequate healthcare, education, and economic empowerment. The CGE is cognisant of the impact of historical inequality and how it has affected women in South Africa.
In her study published in 1997 Sandra Lienbenberg wrote that the disproportionate impact of poverty on black women is due to the combined effects of inter-linking factors such as race, gender, and class. CGE is committed to advancing access to socio-economic rights for vulnerable groups, this has been the motive behind our various initiatives and reports. Initiatives such as the Back-to-school campaign, Shelter Investigation report, Community outreach programmes, Oversight visits, Gender responsive budgeting and various other initiatives and projects. The CGE is aware that a lot needs to be done to eradicate inequality and is committed to steering the ship.
Nothemba Sonjica is a Legal Officer at the CGE