During Women's Month, it is necessary to acknowledge an undeniable truth: the economy is supported by unpaid female labor, yet their struggle remains unnoticed. It is time to move beyond mere praise to real action and address the systemic inequality that burdens women.
In South Africa, the cost of any failure in public services often falls on women. When childcare services are unaffordable, someone has to stay home. If clinics are hard to access, someone takes care of the sick. In times of food shortages, someone must decide how to stretch existing supplies. This person is most likely to be a woman.
"Women's work" does not appear in national accounts, municipal reports, or government budgets. It is described as duty, motherhood, sacrifice, or, especially during Women's Month, resilience. However, South Africa must face an unpleasant truth: the country runs on an invisible social safety net financed by the time, labor, health, and lost opportunities of women.
Every year, South Africa commemorates the women who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956. Nevertheless, their legacy should prompt society to do more than just praise women's strength. It should make us consider why women are still forced to bear the burden created by unequal households, inadequate public services, and an economy that undervalues care.
The language of resilience can inspire, but it can also mask institutional failures. A woman who wakes up early to fetch water due to the lack of a reliable source in her community may be resilient. A grandmother supporting several children on a meager stipend may be resourceful. A mother who declines paid work because childcare costs exceed her earnings may be making a rational decision. But these are not just stories of courage—they are evidence of systemic failure.
