The latest news confirms that there is still a great need to work at improving human rights for women in South African communities

  •  A 2009 study from the medical research Council revealed that South African children aged 12 to 17 are more likely to be raped than people of any other age
  • The Rape and sexual assault incidence in South africa is among the highest in the world.With one in 3 men admitting they have raped.
  • The South African Government submitted a progress report on the progress it made in gender equality to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). While UN CEDAW commended South Africa on the progress it made in legislative development, it expressed its concern in translating this progress to real benefits for women on the ground. 
 
The WHEAT Trust is instrumental in making real the benefits human rights and the legislative progress South Africa has achieved. WHEAT assists with the practical implementation of human rights such as sexual and reproductive rights as well as health care and economic rights. The WHEAT Trust educated grassroots communities on relevant legislation and available state resources and economic opportunities.
 
Click here to read the concluding observations of the UN CEDAW
 
 
Some more facts:
  • More than 70% of the 1.3 billion poor people today are women
  • Of the world's nearly one billion illiterate adults, two-thirds are women
  • Two-thirds of the 130 million children worldwide not attending school are girls
  • Women are often left to care for the children after a divorce, with minimal financial support
  • Women and children are often left homeless after a domestic fight
  • Women are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS in terms of the infection rate and care taking
  • In South Africa, every six hours a women is killed by a husband, boyfriend or ex-partner
  • Women in Southern Africa are mostly not economically empowered to leave a destructive relationship
  • In some regions of South Africa women spend up to five hours daily collecting fuel and water and up to four hours preparing   food
  • In some Southern African regions more than half (60%) of households are headed by women
  • Since the 1970’s, the number of women living below the breadline has increased by 50%, compared to 30% for their male counterparts
  • On the up side, girls have consistently beaten their male counterparts at school and university and are beginning to make   serious headway in the workplace
  • 70 % of all informal businesses are owned and operated by women
  • Women decide on 91% of new homes, 92% of vacations, 89% of bank accounts and 93% of food