Women across the world have endured social meagreness for a very long time. From various parts of the world, women have, in the past, not been allowed to vote, to work, or occupy certain “manly” positions, such as being presidents of countries.
South African Women had not been an exception to this rule. Over and above the country’s previous regime of human separation and indignity, the women of this country suffered even worse social scrutiny. Of notable significance were the pass laws, which as a signal of the African people’s deepest oppression, turned men into migrant workers and the wives, widows. The women fought this social ill, which irrevocably deprived them of the basic right to live with their husbands and raise their children in a stable family unit like they had no other.
On the 9 August 1956, 20 000 women from various parts of the country preceded the 1955 march by staging a second one to the Union Buildings where they left petitions containing more than 10 000 signatures at the prime minister’s door-step. The peaceful demonstration was concluded by freedom songs, including the infamous; “Wathint` abafazi, Wathint` imbokodo! Which was later translated to; “When you touch a woman you strike a rock.”
It is in the same breadth that we, as a people of the new democratic South Africa, embrace and give homage to the heroines of yesterday, whom through their relentless courage and determination, helped in shaping the future of the country. Those women, not only aided the freedom struggle for like women, but for the country as a whole, and for that, your children of today say THANK YOU!