TAC commemorates Women’s Day with virtual discussion groups focused on key themes

Johannesburg, 9 August 2021 – The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) joins the country in commemorating Women’s Day. This year marks 65 years since the watershed 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings, aimed at fighting the then proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act.

This year’s theme, “Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights for an Equal Future” looks to entrench the gains made in protecting women’s rights while addressing existing challenges that continue to plague our society. We realise that there is a lot of work to be done, and we commit to working with other progressive forces to advocate for change.

We note that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on all those living in our nation, with income in many households declining. For example, as early as May 2020, Stats SA reported that 26% of their income survey respondents experienced income decline and hunger had increased by 2.7%. The health crisis turned to be a dinosaur that has impacted the economy, health, education, food security, and gender equality.

Women also face the pandemic of gender-based violence. Women’s Month allows us to gauge how far we have come in transforming society, particularly the transformation of unequal power relations between genders.

To discuss this, TAC’s women’s sector is organising virtual discussions with members to cover the following themes: Gender oppression, patriarchy, sexism, racism, ageism, obstetric violence, and structural oppression. We aim to create a conducive environment to allow our women to learn, share their experiences, and take control of their lives.

The virtual discussions will be conducted by TAC’s National Chairperson, Sibongile Tshabalala, and long time TAC supporter comrade Phumi Mthethwa.