BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SDG 5

South Africa has established a strong institutional and legal framework for gender equality. The Constitution guarantees equality and prohibits discrimination based on sex and gender, while national policies aim to increase women’s participation in political, economic, and public life.

The country has made notable progress in women’s political representation. Women occupy a significant share of seats in Parliament, and South Africa has developed institutions and policies specifically focused on advancing women’s rights and gender equality. Progress has also been made in girls’ access to education and women’s participation in the labour market.

Yet legal and political progress has not eliminated deeper inequalities. Women continue to face high levels of gender-based violence, unequal economic opportunities, and barriers to employment and leadership. These challenges are particularly relevant for women affected by poverty, unemployment, and other forms of social disadvantage.

current challenges and recent developments

Gender-based violence is one of the most serious challenges facing South Africa. Domestic violence, sexual violence, and femicide remain major concerns, while access to protection, justice, and support services can vary across communities. Strengthening prevention and the implementation of existing laws remains an important issue.

Economic inequality also limits progress towards SDG 5. Women experience higher levels of unemployment and are more likely to work in lower-paid or insecure forms of employment. Unequal access to economic resources and opportunities can further restrict women’s independence and career progression.

Political participation and leadership represent another important area of discussion. South Africa has achieved relatively high levels of female representation in national politics, but women remain less equally represented in some areas of economic and institutional leadership. The challenge is therefore not only increasing representation, but also ensuring meaningful participation and decision-making power.

list of references

Malesa, V., & Vyas-Doorgapersad, S. (2023). Assessing the implementation of SDG 5 in South African public service. Xue Bao (Xi Nan Jiao Tong Da Xue), 58(5). https://doi.org/10.35741/issn.0258-2724.58.5.17

Republic of South Africa. (2024). South Africa’s second voluntary national review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. South Africa’s 2024 Voluntary National Review

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (n.d.). South Africa. United Nations Human Rights Office.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (n.d.). South Africa. OECD.

Sustainable Development Solutions Network. (n.d.). South Africa: Sustainable Development Report. Sustainable Development Report.

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 5: Gender equality. United Nations in South Africa.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). SDG indicators: South Africa country profile. United Nations.

United Nations Development Programme. (n.d.). South Africa: Human Development Report data. Human Development Reports.

UN Women. (n.d.). South Africa country data. UN Women Data Hub.

UN Women. (n.d.). South Africa. UN Women Africa.

Statistics South Africa. (n.d.). Goal 5: Gender equality. Sustainable Development Goals.

useful links

• Country report/Voluntary National Reviews

  • https://sdg.statssa.gov.za/goals/sdg/5/ 

  • https://ujcontent.uj.ac.za/esploro/outputs/graduate/Assessing-the-implementation-of-SDG-5/9942002207691 

• Bibliography and UN pages about this country:

  • UN: https://southafrica.un.org/en/sdgs/5 

  • UNPD:https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data?/countries/ZAF 

  • OECD: https://www.oecd.org/en/countries/south-africa.html 

  • UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal/countryprofiles/zaf 

  • UN human rights:https://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/south-africa 

  • Index: https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/profiles/south-africa/ 

  • UN WOMEN count: https://data.unwomen.org/country/south-africa 

  • UN women: https://africa.unwomen.org/en/where-we-are/eastern-and-southern-africa/south-africa-mco