Pulling Back the Veil on the Anti-Gender Movement in South Africa

The anti-gender movement, a global network of conservative activists, is a growing threat to the rights of women and LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide.

This movement, often cloaked in religious and moral rhetoric, seeks to roll back hard-won progress in gender equality and sexual orientation. While its origins can be traced to the Global North, it has increasingly taken root in the Global South, particularly in Africa.

In South Africa, the anti-gender movement has gained significant traction, with organisations like FORSA and FPI leading the charge. These groups employ a variety of tactics, from legal challenges to public protests, to undermine LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality.

By understanding the strategies and motivations of these organisations, we can better equip ourselves to counter their harmful agenda.

What is the anti-gender movement?

The anti-gender movement refers to a well-funded global network of conservative activists dedicated to undermining the rights of women and queer people under the guise of “protecting” families and “traditional values”. Operating on local, regional, and international levels, this network leverages UN institutions and language to obstruct inclusive policies worldwide.

At its core, the anti-gender movement opposes the recognition of gender and sexual diversity, as well as women’s autonomy and reproductive rights, including access to abortion. Its primary goal is to perpetuate heteropatriarchal structures. In the Global South, which has become a primary target, the movement aims to preserve the gender hierarchy imposed by Western colonialism.

While many of these anti-gender groups originate in the Global North, they are increasingly active in the Global South, particularly Africa. For instance, Family Watch International, based in Arizona, supports campaigns against Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) in East and Southern Africa. Notably, many of the most vocal anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ activists in Africa have strong ties to far-right groups in the US and Europe.

Within South Africa, the anti-gender movement is primarily driven by two organisations: FORSA and FPI. These groups have focused their efforts on education and marriage as key battlegrounds in their anti-gender agenda.

Who is the anti-gender movement in South Africa?

Some academics suggest that the global economic downturn of 2008, and associated austerity measures, fueled the rise of the anti-gender movement, attributing it to economic and ideological anxieties.

However, Haley Mcewen, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Gothenburg, and author of The US Christian Right and Pro-Family Politics in 21st Century Africa, argues that this explanation may not fully apply to South Africa, where the economic impact was delayed and the anti-gender movement has historical roots dating back to the 1990s.

She contends that reducing the movement to mere ideological anxiety oversimplifies its motivations, which are more deeply rooted in a desire to maintain heteropatriarchal structures.

Among South Africa’s main actors, the two most dedicated to maintaining these structures are Freedom of Religion South Africa (FORSA) and Family Policy Institute (FPI). They are steadfastly focused on “protecting” the South African child and maintaining the space for religious freedom in South Africa.

FORSA, the more strategic of the two groups, frequently participates in legal cases as an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”). Their primary focus is on defending religious freedom, including the right to express homophobic views, as seen in their submissions to Parliament to include religious exemptions in the Hate Crime Bill, and to maintain parental rights to use corporal punishment.

In one case, YG v S, it made submissions to the court in which they stated that corporal punishment is important as it ensures that children are brought up in a socially acceptable manner. The court didn’t agree with FORSA, finding that the defence of reasonable chastisement was unconstitutional as it was not a justifiable infringement of the rights of the child. A ruling later upheld in 2019 by the Constitutional Court in Freedom of Religion South Africa vs Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.

Additionally, they develop misinformation campaigns regarding education which targets transgender rights. For example, earlier this year FORSA published a series of press releases aimed at undermining the development of an early childhood education toolkit focused on teaching gender diversity to children between the ages of 0 and 9.

In their press releases, they contend that the toolkit teaches “transgender ideology” (a known dogwhistle to transphobic rhetoric). The foundation for this assertion is that the ECE includes guidance on how to explain transgender identity to young children which FORSA has used to assert that the Department of Basic Education cares very little for the best interest of the child or the family.

They further use the typical argument: that teaching children about trans identity will confuse them and undermine the bedrock of our society.

In contrast to FORSA, FPI has a lot less influence over policy development. Their leader, Errol Naidoo, a former ACDP politician, is incredibly adept at producing over-the-top statements and videos which seek to undermine trans rights in South Africa.

Implicit Anti-Trans Rhetoric

Mcewen points out that, “FORSA is arguably the most dangerous of the anti-gender actors. While FPI may garner attention with its flamboyant rhetoric and public protests, FORSA’s strategic approach, often involving legal challenges and political lobbying, poses a more significant threat to LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality.”

However, we should not disregard FPI’s role in undermining trans rights in South Africa. For example, in a recent interview with Clive Human, the director of Stand Together Opposed to Pornography, about the South African Law Reform Commission’s discussion paper on child pornography, Naidoo linked Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to grooming children by suggesting, much like FORSA, that the goal is to indoctrinate children into “certain ideas”.

If you read between the lines, you can pick up on the implicit anti-trans rhetoric. FPI’s approach is more in-line with the language of far-right American populist pundits by decrying “work culture”. It is the same kind of anti-gender activism espoused by 19-year-olds in a Call of Duty lobby at 2am.

The anti-gender movement in South Africa is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. While organisations like FORSA and FPI may differ in their tactics and public image, they share a common goal: to uphold traditional gender roles and suppress LGBTQ+ rights.

To effectively combat this movement, it is crucial to expose their strategies, challenge their arguments, and mobilise public support for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.

By recognising the insidious nature of the anti-gender movement and understanding its various manifestations, we can work towards a more inclusive and equitable future for all.