Ramaphosa: No man owns a woman's body

"We men must get it into our heads that we do not own women, nor do we own their bodies,"  a passionate Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

Ramaphosa spoke at Women's Day celebrations in Paarl.

He urged citizens to be active in the fight against gender-based violence.

Ramaphosa also announced that the government will host its first National Gender Summit on August 31.

"We need to correct this failing to work together across society to fundamentally change attitudes, to fundamentally change practices and institutions to end the abuse of women and violence against women."

In August, thousands of women took to the streets to demand that government act more decisive against gender-based violence.

Ramaphosa received a memorandum of solutions on how to combat violence against the most vulnerable in society and act against convicted abusers at the Union Buildings.

Organisers of the #TotalShutdown campaign has meanwhile welcomed Ramaphosa's announcement of the national summit.

The group's Beverley Mothlabani says they want to see existing policies start working for women in the country. 

"Why is it that it doesn't appear like there are mechanisms to enforce, to actually apply the law and to apply it in a manner that favours the victim/ survivor?"