Women's rights and lesbian rights

A belief among some is that the South African women's movement is fragmented and weak. Gouws notes for instance that a demobilised women's movement cannot hold the state to account, or enforce a feminist-centred discourse into state politics. This article, while not focused on engaging the state, explores the dynamics of this 'fragmented' women's movement; the 'politics' and philosophies that underlie and drive the activism towards gender equality. In this article, I consider the principles and contexts that govern non-governmental organisations (NGOs) set up to protect women's rights, as well as those defined by an agenda that aims to protect the non-normative gender identities of lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersexed (LBTI) women in South Africa.