‘Any man who doesn’t give women money is irresponsible’: Julius Malema
Last Updated on August 11, 2025 by Turkana County News Online
EFF leader Julius Malema has criticised men who don’t support women financially, saying they are irresponsible.
Addressing party members at a Women’s Day rally in Secunda, Mpumalanga, at the weekend, Malema said black women specifically should be given money because of the struggles they go through
“Any man who doesn’t give women money is an irresponsible man,” he said.
“Women have to receive money, especially black women. Black women should be given money because they were oppressed three times more than us as men, and therefore, for triple oppression, we have a duty to compensate them because they’ve gone through pain, and they still go through pain. They go through pain because they are black, because they are women and because they are the working class.”
“No man should lay a hand on a woman. We must protect them, respect them and provide for them.”
Women face social ills including gender-based violence, unemployment and poverty.
“When you see a black woman, you must know this woman is carrying huge burdens on her shoulders and give her the necessary support,” Malema said.
He called on men to take a stand against gender-based violence.
“We don’t want men who are cowards, who are scared of people their age and gender, and go and exercise their power over powerless women.
Speaking about the high unemployment rate, Malema advocated for women empowerment and creating an environment where women thrive in the labour force.
“We cannot continue to have a situation where the number of unemployed women is greater than that of men. We have to change those patterns because when you give women jobs and opportunities, you are guaranteed they will take care of the poor and the children in our townships and rural areas. But when you give it to men, some use the resources in an irresponsible way.”
He said women should be empowered to fight social issues.
“At the centre of defeating poverty should be women empowerment. You empower women, you fight poverty. You empower women, you fight inequality. Therefore, where we see a woman employed, we must be very happy that at least more than 10 people will be looked after.”