Briefing Paper 553 – Women’s Month 2022 by Lois Law
August is Women’s Month in South Africa and 9th August this year marked 66 years since women of all races marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the pass laws that had been introduced by the apartheid government. They marched for equality, dignity and respect. However, even as we celebrate Women’s Month, women are still being sexually assaulted and abused by men, often the ones they know. Despite the numerous campaigns and interventions by government and civil society organisations around gender-based violence, high levels of sexual assault, rape and femicide still occur.