CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the prevalence of gender-based violence remained one of the country’s biggest obstacles toward achieving full, and meaningful gender equality.
But Ramaphosa said that men were the problem to ridding society of gender-based violence.
He's dedicated his weekly newsletter, released on Monday, to the advancement of women, saying that their achievements must be celebrated.
READ: CYRIL RAMAPHOSA: We must celebrate the achievements of South African women
On Tuesday, the country will commemorate the women's march of 1956 in protest against apartheid pass laws.
Ramaphosa said that the achievements of women must be celebrated.
Today, South African women can enjoy the fundamental rights and freedoms that their grandmothers and great-grandmothers were denied.
According to the UN's sustainable development goals, South Africa is on an upward trend towards achieving gender equality.
Forty-six percent of MPs are women, while 62% of the entire public service is female, filling 44% of senior management posts.
Ramaphosa said that coming from a painful past where young black women and girls had limited prospects,
seeing black women occupy the highest echelons of society was an inspiration to many who hoped to follow in their footsteps.
He said that gender-based violence should not diminish progress made in building a non-sexist society.
Ramaphosa has called on men to be part of the solution to curbing gender-based violence, saying that they needed to change their attitudes and conduct.
While South Africa has come a long way, Ramaphosa said there was still much further to go.
