The Constitutional Court has ruled that a section of South Africa's Births and Deaths Registration Act, which gave women but not men automatic rights to change their surnames after marriage, divorce or widowhood, is unconstitutional.
According to Section 261a to c of the 1992 Act, women could take their husband's surname after marriage, revert to a previous surname after divorce or widowhood, or add a previously used surname to their married name.
Men, however, were required to follow the general rule of applying to the Director-General of Home Affairs for any change, a process not required of women under the section.