STELLENBOSCH, Western Cape — The escalating threat of political violence and pervasive societal double standards are actively driving women out of leadership roles across South Africa, according to Stellenbosch University SARChI Gender Politics Chairperson Prof. Amanda Gouws. As the nation observes Women’s Month, the prominent academic warns that gendered electoral violence, sexual threats, and systemic patriarchal norms are creating increasingly hostile environments for female politicians and corporate executives alike.
Despite public institutions boasting strong female leadership at the national level, the reality at the grassroots level tells a starkly different story. According to a report by the Commission for Gender Equality, female representation in municipal councils dropped from 41% in 2016 to just 37% in 2021. Gouws attributes this regression largely to the introduction of coalition politics and the mechanics of the local electoral system. In ward constituencies, women face direct, often disadvantageous competition against men. Furthermore, smaller parties participating in coalitions frequently nominate only male candidates when limited to a single representative.
While some political figures—including an ANC leadership team member identified as Nomvula Mokonyane—suggest that a lack of sustained economic empowerment and independence is the primary hurdle for women in politics, Gouws firmly disagrees. She argues that using poverty as the sole excuse for underrepresentation is inadequate.
“Parties need to be far more serious about women on their party lists, especially in local government,” Gouws noted, pointing out that while the ANC enforces gender quotas at the national level, those quotas do not extend to local government tiers. Beyond party accountability, Gouws also challenged current female leaders in national government to evaluate their own roles in actively enabling more women to enter the political space, rather than solely pointing fingers at systemic issues like poverty.
A major deterrent, Gouws explained, is the alarming rise in gendered electoral violence. A recently completed study on female candidates reveals widespread hostility, physical threats, and severe online abuse, including slut-shaming and threats of sexual violence. These dangerous conditions actively discourage women from running for office. Gouws emphasized a critical legislative gap, noting that the country currently lacks adequate laws to curb and manage online violence against female candidates.
The challenges extend beyond the political sphere into the corporate sector. Gouws pointed out that the number of female CEOs among companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has historically hovered under 10%, seeing only marginal increases recently. She attributes this stagnation to deep-rooted cultural norms that pigeonhole women as homemakers and caregivers rather than business leaders. This pervasive mindset creates a glass ceiling, which is further reinforced by women’s unequal access to the financial resources and capital necessary for upward corporate mobility.
The conversation also tackled the harsh, gendered scrutiny female leaders face regarding their personal lives. Gouws addressed recent controversial remarks by Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba, who suggested that the downfall of women in political leadership is sometimes linked to dating younger men. Gouws juxtaposed this scrutiny with the historical treatment of male leaders, such as Bill Clinton, highlighting a glaring double standard.
“We apply a certain standard to men’s sexuality and we apply a different standard to women’s sexuality,” Gouws stated. She noted that men found guilty of sexual harassment in government are often temporarily suspended and later reinstated, whereas women rarely recover from similar public shaming.
Furthermore, female politicians face a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” paradox regarding their personal lives. According to Gouws’s research, unmarried women are shamed for failing to find a partner, while married women with children are criticized for allegedly neglecting their families—a double standard never applied to male politicians. Ultimately, Gouws asserts that these double standards are deeply rooted in patriarchal norms designed to view women as inferior and confine them to the private sphere of the home, rather than empowering them in politics and the labor force.
