More than 40% of women make up South Africa’s National Parliament, signifying that women are well represented in the political system. However, gender pay gaps, sexual and gender-based violence, the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, and femicide are just some of the many challenges that women continue to face. This begs the question: why does such a contradiction exist?

The contradiction demonstrates that the political representation of women does not single-handedly guarantee the protection of women’s rights. Furthermore, the obsession with electing women politicians as a precursor to achieving gender equality is problematic.

In 1956, 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings to protest new legislation that required black women to carry passes to access urban areas in apartheid South Africa. Women across racial, provincial and class divides rallied together against the oppressive law to register their disapproval. This moment signified a pivotal moment for women in South Africa as they showed their strength and courage to the women’s cause. In 1995, the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing, China, and produced an instrumental policy for the achievement of gender equality – the Beijing Platform for Action [BPfA]. Since the 1956 Women’s March in apartheid South Africa and the landmark 1995 women’s conference, much progress has been made on the protection of women’s rights around the world.

The BPfA made the political participation of women a prerequisite for achieving gender equality, thereby motivating the push for temporary measures such as quotas to increase the participation of women in the political system. As a result, more than 100 countries have adopted one form of gender quotas to foster the increased political participation of women. South Africa is one of the African countries that adopted a gender quota to increase the presence of women in politics, with more than 40% of seats in the National Parliament occupied by women. The push for more women in the political system is based on the assumption that the increased representation of women in politics will automatically foster the protection of women’s rights. This assumption has been peddled among critical mass theorists who use the theory of critical mass for the advocacy of women’s political participation.

However, criticisms have arisen about this assumption; critics argue that the assumption creates a false expectation that when women enter into politics, women’s issues will automatically be addressed. South Africa has one of the highest percentages of women in its parliament, yet sexual and gender-based violence against women persist. The contradiction raises concerns that having women politicians is not enough to protect women’s rights. Rather, it is important to have feminist leaders who are conscious of the plight of women.

Feminist leadership responds to patriarchal and traditional power structures that dominate society. It empowers women to challenge the restrictive norms that bifurcates genders into hierarchies. To have women with a feminist consciousness in politics makes it easy to challenge existing stereotypes while advancing women’s rights. Feminist leadership is intersectional and aims to create spaces in which all people can exercise their agency. It advances the equality of all genders based on an understanding of how restrictive patriarchal norms/gender stereotypes inform gender relations and gender roles. Understanding this nuance will enable us to grasp the depth of gender inequality in our society, which often manifests in violence against women and girls and low representation of women across different sectors, among others.

Years after women entered the political scene, gender inequality and its manifesting vices are still rearing their heads. This is stalling the progress made on the rights of women in politics, economy, technology, sexual and reproductive health, and other areas. This suggests that the responsibility of addressing gender disparities goes beyond the political participation of women.

The increased participation of women in politics has both descriptive and symbolic benefit for women, as a democracy is only a democracy if every member of society is duly represented. However, the descriptive and symbolic representation of marginalised groups is not the definitive answer to ensure the protection of their rights. Often, women politicians are obstacles to the advancement of progressive politics because those who get into power by virtue of their party nomination become more loyal to the party mandate than women’s issues. The mere participation of women in politics fails to address the prevailing negative attitudes that women are subject to in society. A feminist consciousness is needed within the political system to engage the problems that women are exposed to in society. Feminist-oriented leaders are committed to addressing those problems and are interested in including women’s issues in the political agenda.

Nonetheless, the call for feminist leadership should not negate the need for women in politics. While criticism persists on the supposed shortcomings of women politicians, it should not impede the advocacy for women’s political participation. Male politicians are not expected to show that they are championing for men’s rights in order to secure their election year after year. This demonstrates that women politicians are judged by harsher standards than their male counterparts. Moreover, women’s organisations clamoured for the inclusion of women in politics using the principles of justice and fairness. What we should focus on is identifying feminist-oriented leaders among elected politicians who can advocate for women’s rights. These identified leaders will be critical actors who act on behalf of women to transform the political agenda.

As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month, it is important to reflect on the actions of the 1956 Women’s March and its impact decades later. These women were feminist-oriented critical actors who paved the way for a South Africa that recognises and respects women’s rights in its Constitution. The women who have come after them must make a concerted effort to protect their legacy. Protecting the rights of women in South Africa and Africa goes beyond the inclusion of women in the political system. Therefore, we need feminist-oriented leaders that can challenge the hegemonic systems of power to protect women’s rights and achieve gender equality.

Dr Zainab Monisola Olaitan is a postdoctoral Fellow at the University o Pretoria’s Centre for Human Rights.