Gender Commission on imposing mandatory Covid-19 vaccination
16 January 2022
As South Africa continues to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has noted a new study published in Obstetrics & Gynaecology medical journal, released on 05 January 2022, that has found that vaccines may cause a small change to the menstrual cycle length, but that this change is temporary.
While health experts believe this finding is not clinically significant, the Commission would like to caution businesses and various institutions against forcing employees to vaccinate and imposing harsh sanctions on them if they do not. The Commission is aware that several companies in the corporate and retail sectors have introduced mandatory vaccinations in their workplaces, and many more may follow suit.
The CGE would like to warn that mandatory vaccination mandates do not supersede the South Africa’s Constitution and its provisions. Section 12 (2) of the Constitution states that everyone has the right to bodily and psychological integrity, which includes the right— (a) to make decisions concerning reproduction; (b) to security in and control over their body; and (c) not to be subjected to medical or scientific experiments without their informed consent.
The Commission is concerned that employees who do not vaccinate may have their contracts terminated by employers if vaccination mandates are allowed to continue without taking the workers’ human rights into consideration. The country’s retail sector employs a high number of young females as cashiers and cleaners, and many of them are not in a position to negotiate with their employers, if they do not wish to vaccinate.