Human rights promise rings hollow as violence against women persists
Daily Maverick | 22.03.2026 20:48South Africa’s Constitution promised dignity for all. Nearly 30 years later, that promise remains out of reach for far too many women. Signed into law by Nelson Mandela on 10 December 1996, International Human Rights Day, it was a deliberate act of alignment between our democratic project and the global human rights movement. The message was clear: rights would not be symbolic. They would live. Yet today, South Africa remains one of the most unsafe places in the world to be a woman.
