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This week — International Women’s Day, State Capture and the invisible load of motherhood

This week — International Women’s Day, State Capture and the invisible load of motherhood
Takudzwa Pongweni
By Takudzwa Pongweni
4 Mar 2024
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On Wednesday, 6 March at 10am, the Civil Society Working Group on State Capture will release a Collective Civil Society Response to the Zondo Commission and the State Capture Report.

‘The work of the Zondo Commission, which spanned over four years, laid bare the networks of looters in the public and private sectors who have criminally enriched themselves at the expense of the people of South Africa. Although there have been some developments, urgent action needs to be taken to tackle state capture and corruption,” said CSWG. 

“The response has been compiled from several civil society organisations’ perspectives and stands as a part of ongoing collective work by the CSWG and broader civil society, alongside the important work being done by whistle-blowers and journalists in the country in efforts to hold perpetrators of state capture to account.” 

Friday, 8 March is International Women’s Day, the theme for which is “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”. 

Achieving gender equality and women’s well-being in all aspects of life is crucial to creating prosperous economies and a healthy planet, according to the United Nations.  “However, we are facing a key challenge: The alarming $360-billion annual deficit in gender-equality measures by 2030.”

The five key areas requiring joint action are:


  • Investing in women;

  • Ending poverty;

  • Implementing gender-responsive financing;

  • Shifting to a green economy and care society; and

  • Supporting feminist change-makers.


civil society

Also on Friday, at 1pm, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) will host a Facebook live discussion on “the invisible load of motherhood – the impact and coping strategies”. 

“Dr Colinda Linde, clinical psychologist and author, will be guiding us through the invisible load of motherhood. Learn how to navigate this journey, whether you’re a working mom or a stay-at-home mom,” the organisers say.

10 March is International Day of Women Judges, which aims to reaffirm countries’ commitment to develop and implement appropriate and effective national strategies for the advancement of women in justice systems and institutions at the leadership, managerial and other levels.

“Despite women’s increased engagement in public life, they remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making positions. In fact, a relatively small number of women have been, or are part of, the judiciary, particularly at senior judicial leadership positions,” the UN says.

“Women’s representation in the judiciary is key to ensuring that courts represent their citizens, address their concerns and hand down sound judgments.” DM

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