Sonke instrumental in South Africa’s new parental leave judgment

South African fathers can now share four months parental leave with their partners, according to a new verdict by Johannesburg High Court. The matter was brought to court by a Polokwane couple, Werner and Ika van Wyk, Sonke Gender Justice and the Commission for Gender Equality among other organizations. The verdict as delivered by Deputy Judge President Roland Sutherland, concluded that the provisions of the current BCEA regulating parental leave offend against sections 9 and 10 of the South African Constitution as they unfairly discriminate between mothers and fathers. Sonke welcomes this landmark judgement which is contributing to growing our jurisprudence on the quest for shared care-work in families. Bafana Khumalo, Co-Executive Director of Sonke Gender Justice and Co-Chairperson of Global MenEngage Alliance spoke to ENCA about this groundbreaking verdict.