Women's Legal Centre

19/10/2026

LEGAL ADVICE ON OBSTETRIC VIOLENCE
Respectful maternity care is not a privilege. It is the standard of care every woman should be able to expect during pregnancy, childbirth and after giving birth.
You have the right to dignity and respect, clear information, privacy, informed consent, pain relief and emotional support. Most importantly, you have the right to be involved in decisions about your body and your healthcare.
Knowing your rights can help you recognise when the care you receive falls short of what you are entitled to.
Learn more in our Guide to Understanding Obstetric Violence: https://wlce.co.za/docs/a-guide-to-understanding-obstetric-violence/

12/10/2026

LEGAL ADVICE ON OBSTETRIC VIOLENCE
Obstetric violence can happen to any woman, but not all women experience healthcare in the same way.
Discrimination, inequality and barriers to accessing quality healthcare can place some women at greater risk, particularly women from marginalised communities.
Obstetric violence can also go beyond the actions of an individual healthcare worker. Healthcare institutions and systems have a responsibility to ensure that harmful practices are not allowed to continue.
Who you are or where you come from should never determine whether you are treated with dignity and respect when accessing maternity care.
Learn more in our Guide to Understanding Obstetric Violence: https://wlce.co.za/docs/a-guide-to-understanding-obstetric-violence/

06/10/2026

05/10/2026

LEGAL ADVICE ON OBSTETRIC VIOLENCE
As part of our work on sexual and reproductive health and rights, our new Legal Advice series focuses on helping women recognise obstetric violence, understand their rights, and know where to seek help.
Over the next four weeks, we will unpack what obstetric violence can look like, who may be most at risk, what respectful maternity care should look like, and the rights and protections available to you.
Obstetric violence is not normal. And you do not have to accept it as part of receiving healthcare.
Read our full Guide to Understanding Obstetric Violence here: https://wlce.co.za/docs/a-guide-to-understanding-obstetric-violence/

29/09/2026

Taking our feminist legal advocacy beyond borders.
WLC is working in solidarity with Global South partners to bring South African feminist legal expertise to CEDAW, helping shape international women’s rights standards on gender stereotypes.
Read the report here: https://wlce.co.za/docs/iwraw-asia-pacific-commentary-on-cedaws-draft-general-recommendation-41-on-gender-stereotypes/

28/09/2026

Today we mark International Safe Abortion Day.

Abortion is a reproductive health right. And it is legal in South Africa.

But having rights in law must also mean being able to access safe, respectful and stigma-free abortion care.

This year, the Women’s Legal Centre is partnering with SECTION27 to mark International Safe Abortion Day through a webinar aligned with the global theme: “Solidarity in Action: Advance Reproductive Justice and Urgently Strengthen Health Systems for Comprehensive Abortion Care.”

The discussion will bring together providers, activists, lawyers and researchers working to advance access to safe abortion in South Africa.

Our attorney Khuliso Managa will join the panel to discuss how abortion rights can be safeguarded amid growing anti-rights movements.

Join the conversation and stand in solidarity for reproductive justice.

🔗 Register for the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ezO63yBiSkaus1J-VpdKeg #/registration

🔗 Learn more about your abortion rights in South Africa: https://wlce.co.za/docs/abortion-rights-illegal-providers-and-access-to-facilities/



Section27

23/09/2026

We’ll be back on Monday 28 September 💙

23/09/2026

WLC’s Advocate Bronwyn Pithey joined John Perlman on 702 to unpack our legal challenge to the law that prevents people accused of sexual offences from being identified before they plead in court.

Listen to the conversation here: https://omny.fm/shows/afternoon-drive-702/womens-legal-centre-challenge-law-they-say-silences-victims-of-sexual-violence

22/09/2026

If you’ve been wondering why a high ranking police official accused of r**e could not be named, this is the law we’ve been talking about.
Section 154(2)(b) of the Criminal Procedure Act prohibits the publication of identifying information about a person accused of a sexual offence before they have pleaded in court.
It’s the same law the Women’s Legal Centre challenged in the High Court earlier this year. We argue that it disproportionately impacts women, silences survivors and can make it harder for other victims to come forward. We are currently awaiting judgment.
This is why we created Nxme Him.
While the law keeps accused sexual offenders anonymous, our civil disobedience AI allows you to symbolically nxme an accused sexual offender by turning their name into an uncrackable emoji code.
✊🏾 Symbolically nxme him on www.nxmehim.com

✍🏾 Sign the petition to change the law.

https://www.change.org/p/the-identity-of-accused-rapists-is-protected-by-law-let-s-change-it?recruiter=111076425&recruited_by_id=7cb4e0f0-f504-11e3-90bb-c3d5c486ef99&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard&utm_medium=copylink

📢 Share the campaign.

The country is talking about this law again. Let’s make sure survivors are part of that conversation.

18/09/2026

MYTH: “I don't own enough to need a will.”
You don't have to be wealthy to plan what happens to the things you leave behind.
As comes to an end, take the first step towards putting your wishes in writing.

Participating attorneys across South Africa will offer free basic will drafting this week.
Visit the Law Society of South Africa to find an attorney: https://www.lssa.org.za/our-initiatives/advocacy/national-wills-week/