SA scores low in gender attitude survey

Johannesburg: 12 August 2016: On Women’s day, a woman DJ on a popular radio station urged men to “tip women double” if they decided to spend the day in a strip bar “because its women’s day.”

While twitter has erupted over racist statements, no one seemed bothered about such sexist remarks on the day set aside to commemorate the anniversary of the iconic women’s march against pass laws sixty years ago.

Not too many days before, four young women grabbed the headlines when they staged a silent protest with posters reading “remember Kwezi” (the woman who accused President Jacob Zuma of rape) during his speech at the local government election results centre.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) Women’s League rushed to the President’s defence, saying that the president had been acquitted of rape. But the women’s arm of the party had to concede that the President’s conduct in having sex with a woman half his age against her will had been far from exemplary.

As South Africa celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the march by women against pass laws, the biggest obstacle to gender equality may be changing attitudes and mind sets.

A recent survey conducted by the Southern African Gender Protocol Alliance ahead of women’s month across the region reveals that at 53% South Africa’s Gender Progress Score is low, despite a progressive Constitution.

South Africa’s score is exactly the same as the Southern African average; lower than the highest score (65% in Mauritius) but higher than the lowest score (45% in Lesotho)

The Alliance administered the questionnaire to 2013 women and 1637 men in South Africa, and 24418 women and 22322 men across the region. While women in South Africa (55%) scored a little higher than men (51%), women did not show a markedly higher awareness than men in this country or across the region.

The Gender Progress Score (GPS) developed by Gender Links, which coordinates the Alliance, includes a standard set of questions to gauge gender attitudes and enhances these with questions on contentious areas such as polygamy; choice of termination of pregnancy; sex work and sexual orientation. The 25 questions are scored on a scale of one equals least progressive to four equals most progressive to give an overall score of 100.

In South Africa only 61% women and 75% men agreed that women and men should be treated equally, compared to 76% women and 75% men across the region.

65% of South African women and 73% men agree or strongly agree that a woman should obey her husband. 50% of South African women and 58% men believe that a man should have a final say in all matters.

Across the region, 65% women and 62% men said polygamy should be abolished. Yet only 55% women and 54% women in South Africa strongly agreed with this statement.

The survey goes a long way in explaining the high levels of GBV in South Africa. 32% women and 37% men said that if a man beats a woman it shows that he loves her. 37% of SA women and a worrying 44% of men agreed to the statement if a woman wears a short skirt, she is asking to be raped. 34% of women and 46% men agreed to the statement that if a woman works she should give her money to her husband. 59% of women and 54% men agree that men should share housework.

Surprisingly, despite being the only country in the region with a Constitution that that recognises sexual orientation as a right, 45% women and 52% men said that people who are attracted to the same sex should be outlawed.

South Africa disappointed LGBTI activists around the world in June 2016 when it refused to support a landmark resolution on LGBTI rights at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. South Africa tabled the original resolution on the SOGI and the LGBTI issue in 2011. The council voted to adopt a resolution on the “Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI)” that establishes the position of an Independent Expert on SOGI. Remarkably, South Africa chose to abstain in the vote.

Access the full survey at https://genderlinks.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2016-Gender-Att-Survey.pdf . For more information contact: Sifisosami Dube, Alliance and Partnerships Manager on 078 274 5428 or alliance@genderlinks.org.za