Support for Human Rights
Empowering Equality
South Africa has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, explicitly prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender. It guarantees equality for gay and lesbian individuals, as well as for women.
Support for Human Rights
These rights are enshrined in the Bill of Rights, which forms part of the Constitution. It states: “The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.”
Raising Awareness, Building Inclusion
The challenge is to ensure that these constitutional rights are respected in practice. Since 2023, with funding from the Global Fund, Mpilonhle has run a campaign to raise awareness of the rights of all citizens and reduce discrimination faced by marginalised groups, including gender-based violence.
To support this effort, Mpilonhle has organised over 100 community awareness sessions involving a range of stakeholders, including civil and traditional authorities, police services, community groups, and local residents.
Honouring Democracy Through Education
These programmes have reached over 25,000 individuals, who are then encouraged to share their knowledge with colleagues and fellow community members, helping to spread awareness about human rights and their real-world implications. Even within this largely rural and traditional community, the initiative has been positively received and supported.
This may, in part, reflect the deep respect many South Africans hold for constitutional rule, rooted in the country’s long and hard-fought struggle to establish a representative democracy.
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