As we wish all women of our country a wonderful, blessed and prosperous Women’s Month, it is also our call for a better life for them. Women are still faced with many challenges, amongst which are gender-based violence, workplace discrimination, inadequate healthcare, food insecurity, raising children alone, human trafficking, poverty and homelessness. In rural areas, women still have to collect wood to make fire and cook for their families.
Women’s Month, particularly this day the 9th of August, is a stark reminder of the power of women. It is a testimony that women a strong force of our nation.
It was on the 9th of August in 1956 that a large group of women began a campaign to bring an end to the pass laws enforced by the government of the time. The pass laws meant that all black people were to carry a special “pass” or identification document which they had to produce to prove they were permitted to enter a certain area designated for white people. This was a major law of the apartheid regime and greatly restricted the freedom of movement of black people.
The campaign began when some 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest certain proposed amendments to the pass laws or Urban Areas Act of 1950.
This eventful march on 9 August 1956 was lead by Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, Lilian Ngoyi (Strijdom Square was renamed Lilian Ngoyi Square in her honor during the 2006 Women’s Day celebrations), Rahima Moosa and Helen Joseph (born in England, she was a major anti-apartheid activist).
Over 100 000 signatures marked a number of petitions which were left with the prime minister at the time, J.G. Stijdom. After handing in these documents at his office they stood quietly outside for about 30 minutes. Soon the women began to sing a protest song with words which translated into “Now you have touched the women, you have struck a rock”. Indeed, these words show the immense courage and strength of these women, as recorded by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture on its website in the light of the commemoration of Women’s Day and Women’s Month.
