Saturday, 9 August 2025: The South African Communist Party (SACP) pays respects to all women in South Africa in commemoration of the pivotal 1956 Women’s march against the apartheid system. The SACP reaffirms that our struggle is not only a struggle for gender equality but also a struggle to eradicate patriarchy as a system and root out discrimination based on sex as well as eliminating gender-based violence and femicide. This struggle is a cornerstone of the National Democratic Revolution.

The 1956 Women’s march was an integral component of the struggle against colonial oppression and apartheid. The national struggle for emancipation of the oppressed encompasses women’s movements that directly confront patriarchal societal relations exacerbated by the capitalist system. The phenomenon of “triple oppression”—racial oppression, class exploitation, and gender oppression—had the most profound impact on black women, as they are black, working-class women, thereby positioning them as the most exploited section of society.

There is an urgent need to eradicate the scourge of gender-based violence—in the context of combating all forms of violence—within our country. It is unacceptable that South Africa continues to rank among the most dangerous places in the world for women. Between January and March 2025 alone, police statistics recorded 966 women murdered, and over 9,000 reported rape cases. The majority of gender-based murders are committed by intimate partners, and in most cases, the perpetrators remain at large. These figures should not be regarded as mere statistics for political campaigns; they represent individuals, human beings with names and families. As a tribute to their courage, the SACP calls for an all-out mobilisation in every community, workplace, campus, and rural village to effectively combat this scourge and ensure a robust state response.

The SACP advocates for the provision of safety, justice, and resources to survivors, and the abolition of impunity for perpetrators. For the SACP, the primary objective for those seeking justice and accountability is the strengthening of working-class power within communities to challenge women’s abuse and exploitation. In this regard, it is crucial to recognise that the family should not be viewed solely as a private sphere where any behaviour that violates gender equality can be tolerated. Women must have access to the necessary means and protection to achieve independence, express their opinions without fear, and control their own destiny and decisions. All girls and women must feel safe in their homes, educational institutions, workplaces, recreational spaces, cultural venues, and community settings, regardless of their gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Addressing the pervasive issue of gender-based violence necessitates an intensified struggle against capitalism, as it significantly impacts the daily lives of women, who constitute a particularly vulnerable section of society. Consequently, we must simultaneously address the escalating cost of living crisis, which demands the recognition and advancement of the right to work for all individuals, especially women.

To intensify the class struggle, the SACP calls for the unity of the working class as a whole, encompassing employed and unemployed workers, the impoverished in general, women and men, the youth, progressive intellectuals, and sections of the middle class and peasantry. Let us unite in defence of our hard-earned democracy and in pursuit of socialism, both of which are currently threatened by the pervasive scourge of violence, particularly gender-based violence.

In addressing the contemporary crises faced by the working class, it is imperative to challenge the very foundations of capitalism. This necessitates direct engagement with the masses of the people, particularly in the impoverished rural communities where the majority of working class and poor women reside. This is precisely where the SACP People’s Red Caravan program finds relevance.

The People’s Red Caravan is a movement that empowers individuals to take charge of their own socio-economic development, particularly in these under-served communities. Rather than merely addressing problems for the people, the initiative focuses on empowering them to drive the change they envision.

This approach involves collaborating closely with the community to identify potential solutions, mobilise communal resources, and encourage collective efforts through the utilisation of each individual’s skills, expertise, and potential labour. Through the People’s Red Caravan, the community fosters unity and cohesion, assuming a leadership role in their own liberation from the socio-economic crises they encounter.

In its pursuit of uniting the women of our nation, the SACP will continue to play a pivotal role in the construction of a progressive women’s movement. As part of this endeavour, we will diligently work to strengthen trade unions and their programs, including targeted recruitment of women workers and a comprehensive women’s emancipation program. It is of utmost importance for the working class, including trade unions, to confront the multifaceted crises inherent in capitalism on all fronts.

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