Source:News 24
Johannesburg – South African women continue to be victimised through sexual crimes, the African National Congress (ANC) said on Tuesday.

"The lives of hundreds of thousands of women across the country have been transformed for the better, yet we face challenges," ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.

"Domestic and gender-based violence figures remain worryingly high. Older men preying on younger women are cutting down our young people through disease and an eroding of social values," he said.

He said despite a progressive legal and regulatory regime, women continue to face discrimination in the workplace, and are denied access to opportunity on the basis of class and gender.

"Women's month is also a time for reflection. We know that the mainstreaming of gender is imperative because it is women who are still the poorest in our country and black rural women in particular," Kodwa said.

He said the party continues to work towards equity for women in all sectors of the economy.

This year's event marks the 60th anniversary of the 1956 women's march to the Union Buildings against the discriminatory pass laws, which had restricted the movement of black people in the country.

The occasion has been marked by the unveiling of statues in the city of Tshwane of the leaders of the march, as well as an address by President Jacob Zuma.

Sixty years later, the day started with the launch of the Women's Living Heritage Monument at Lilian Ngoyi Square in the Pretoria CBD. The monument tells the story of women’s contribution to the liberation struggle.

That was followed by a parade from the square to the Union Buildings, following in the footsteps of the women's march and celebrating achievements of women in all sectors.

• South Africa