P20 Women’s Parliament Discusses Patriarchy in Politics

In her presentation, the Coordination Specialist for UN Women South Africa, Ms Mahlatse Ramoroka, commended the P20 Women’s Parliament for its commitment to accelerating sustainable development and inclusive growth through a gender equality lens. She emphasised that the challenge is not merely increasing women’s numerical representation but interrogating the deeper social and institutional norms that limit women’s agency and access to decision-making spaces.

Speaking on the topic “Dissecting the Women’s Charter Perspective on Deconstructing Patriarchy and Inequality in Political and Civic Life – Governance and Decision-Making,” Ms Ramoroka highlighted the need to integrate these principles fully into governance structures. Deconstructing patriarchy, she argued, is not simply about addressing discrimination in appointments or elections, but about examining how leadership is defined, how power is distributed, and how systems are held accountable to all citizens, especially those historically excluded.

She stressed that this is a transformative, not symbolic, task, closely linked to peace, democracy, and sustainable development. “This call is growing louder and much more urgent than ever before,” she said, noting the global momentum for women’s participation in public life.

Presenting global and national statistics, Ms Ramoroka noted that in South Africa women account for 44.9% of the National Assembly and 44.4% of the National Council of Provinces, while local government representation stands at 37%. In the judiciary, women remain underrepresented, and only 7% of private-sector CEOs are women. Globally, women hold an average of 27% of parliamentary seats and 28.2% of managerial roles, meaning it could take more than 140 years to achieve gender parity in executive positions.

She outlined barriers to gender equality in leadership, including structural and institutional obstacles, political intimidation, online harassment, unsafe work environments, and economic inequality. While South Africa has made progress through initiatives such as the Women’s Charter and by featuring gender equality in its G20 Development Agenda and Mid-Term Strategic Framework, Ms Ramoroka emphasised the need to move beyond policy toward tangible action, particularly to improve the situation of rural women. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are essential to ensure policies translate into real change.

“We stand ready to support not only through speeches, but by fostering partnerships across public and private sectors to accelerate transformation, track progress, close gaps, and hold institutions accountable,” she said.

Ms Lulama Nare, CEO of the Progressive Women’s Movement of South Africa, noted that contemporary gender debates must include LGBTQI communities. Excluding them leaves part of society behind. “What about my son who is gay, my daughter who is a lesbian, who is intersex or bisexual? Where do we locate such individuals in these debates?” she asked. She also stressed the importance of using indigenous languages in discussions to ensure that rural women, often excluded due to technical language barriers, can fully participate.

Ms Nare further suggested that women should approach courts to demand recourse on gender disparities that infringe on their constitutional rights, engaging the Constitutional Court where necessary.

MP Ms Lindelwa Sapo defined patriarchy as a system that perceives women as less capable leaders, resulting in their exclusion from key decision-making roles in organisations and government. Patriarchy shapes social norms and often relegates women to unpaid domestic work, limiting their participation in politics and community structures. Verbal abuse, physical assault, and sexual harassment further deter women from pursuing political careers, with women who do succeed often facing derogatory accusations, often from their female counterparts.

Ms Sapo also cautioned that gender equity initiatives must include boys. “While we strive to protect the girl child, we must also not neglect the plight of the boy child.” We must nurture it to grow into a responsible adult, father, and citizen, she said

Abel Mputing
14 August 2025