How POPCRU's National Gender Forum is shaping gender justice in South Africa

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) on Tuesday embarked on the first day of its two-day National Gender Forum at the Holiday Inn, Rosebank, Johannesburg, under the banner of “Deepening the Struggle for Gender Justice: Advancing Inclusivity and Workers’ Rights.”

According to the union, the forum brings together its national and provincial gender structures, senior leadership, representatives from allied organisations, and strategic partners in the broader labour movement.

The union said this forum will also honour the legacy of gender activists within POPCRU, including the late Pretty Shuping and Thandiwe Ncipa, and celebrate the achievements of the 2023 Women Development Cohort, who recently graduated with a Higher Certificate in Economic Development from the University of the Western Cape.

The union's Richard Mamabolo stated that the forum will discuss implementing transformative gender policies, including progress on the Sixteen Days of Activism, Restore Dignity Campaign, and Gender Roundtable.

It will tackle critical topics such as gender-based violence in the world of work, decent work for persons with disabilities and LGBTQI+ workers, and advancing feminist leadership within unions.

The union said the forum will also review the outcomes of global engagements including the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the COSATU Women’s Feminist Leadership School, and the Labour 20 Consultative Workshop, ensuring that POPCRU’s gender programme remains aligned with international standards and best practices.

The union aims to consolidate the union’s efforts in promoting gender equality, equity, and inclusion both within the organisation and across the criminal justice sector.

South Africa faces continued battles of gender struggle, such as Gender Based Violence and Femicide, which contribute to the total crime figure as per the police's crime reports.

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