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YOU ARE HERE \ South Africa \ South Africa Travel News \ Annual Events and Festivals, Miscellaneous \ Women’s Day 9 August
Posted on: Saturday, 8 August 2009

Women's Day 9 August

Posted to: Annual Events and Festivals, Miscellaneous

Have you ever wondered why we cel­eb­rate Woman's Day on the 9th August in South Africa? It has noth­ing to do with hon­our­ing women just because we need another "Mother's Day", this day com­mem­or­ates the 9 August 1956 when women par­ti­cip­at­ing in a national march peti­tioned against pass laws ... (For any­one who does not know the his­tory — "pass laws" were legis­la­tion that required African per­sons to carry a doc­u­ment on them to ‘prove’ that they were allowed to enter a ‘white area’ dur­ing the Apartheid regime).

Lillian Ngoyi © ANC

Lillian Ngoyi © ANC

On this day in 1956, over 20 000 women of all races and ages from every corner of South Africa marched together towards the Union Buildings in Pretoria. These brave women were march­ing in protest against the pass laws that pro­posed even fur­ther restric­tions on the move­ments of women.

Organised by the Federation of South African Women, the March was led by four brave women; Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Sophie Williams and Lilian Ngoyi. The lead­ers delivered peti­tions to Prime Minister JG Strijdom's office within the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Women through­out South Africa had put their names to these peti­tions indic­at­ing their anger and frus­tra­tion at hav­ing their free­dom of move­ment restric­ted by the hated offi­cial passes.

To con­clude the Women's March, the women sang free­dom songs such as Nkosi sikeleli Afrika, how­ever, the song that became the anthem of the march was "Wathint' aba­fazi, Strijdom!"

Photos © ANC.org

Photos © ANC.org

wath­int' aba­fazi,
wath­int' imbokodo,
uza kufa!

When you strike the women,
you strike a rock,
you will be crushed [you will die]!

The march was a resound­ing suc­cess and South Africa recog­nises the bravery of these women who risked arrest, deten­tion and ban­ning by declar­ing 9 August National Women’s Day.

Related Links:
Women's Struggle in South Africa — For any­one inter­ested in read­ing up more on this topic, this link will take you to the SA History site's page on "The tur­bu­lent 1950s — Women as defi­ant act­iv­ists". There is a lot of inter­est­ing inform­a­tion avail­able on this site.

This link — The Women's March, 9 August 1956 — gives a very com­pre­hens­ive account of the pre­par­a­tions for and events of this day we now com­mem­or­ate every year. Interesting read­ing! We salute these won­der­ful Women.

Photo Credits:
Photos are © ANC.org Website.

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Article by: The Team @ SA-Venues
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What Others are Saying

24 comments about Women's Day 9 August
  1. August 9th, 2009 at 09:09
    Hanli Rose-Innes says:

    I found your short art­icle about the ori­gin of Women's Day very help­ful and interesting!

  2. May 19th, 2010 at 11:42
    Promise says:

    It was a cour­ageous thing this women did for us and our lib­er­a­tion back then look­ing now how things have changed for bet­ter for the youth of South Africa across boader and race, social, fin­an­cial and other wise... Igama lama khosikazi malibongwe, wath­inta aba­fazi wath­inta imbokodo...

  3. May 19th, 2010 at 11:54
    admin says:

    I can't agree with you more Promise!!!

  4. July 15th, 2010 at 13:21
    zamambo mkh­ize says:

    I am so proud to be a South African woman, as our free­dom were not fought by our men alone but the moth­ers of the nation too. Thank you so much BOMAMA BETHU!!!

  5. July 19th, 2010 at 12:10
    Charlene says:

    Please i want to do the big walk on the 9th of next month

  6. July 27th, 2010 at 14:18
    Tebza says:

    I'm pround to be a South African woman. Abomama bethu are brave and now we are no longer car­ry­ing domaps. They fought the sys­tem without a weapon and they won the battle. Wathinta aba­fazi wath­inta imbokodo. Mangwna o tsh­warar thipa ka fa bogaleng .

  7. July 29th, 2010 at 09:45
    stu says:

    Namuhla sikhu­lulekile, thank you so much to those brave women.

  8. August 3rd, 2010 at 08:39
    matana mas­ana says:

    Bomme ba tsh­wara thipa ka bohaleng,i know women can do it.not only in this month though out the year pham­bile bomme

  9. August 6th, 2010 at 10:01
    Simon Motshoge says:

    This is won­der­ful to remem­ber our moth­ers what they done we have to respect our God great them to great us May God bless all mothers

  10. August 12th, 2010 at 17:17
    kajol says:

    women are brave people.we are so bet­ter than boys,without us they wont be in thts world.

  11. August 13th, 2010 at 14:11
    SIZEKA MKHIZE says:

    SIYABONGA BOMAMA ,FOR THE ACT OF BRAVERY YOU SHOWED TO DILIVER US FROM THAT SLAVERY

  12. August 15th, 2010 at 15:06
    ntando says:

    i find this art­icle very interesting...I'm only a teen­ager but very proud to be a young, female cit­izen of this awe­some coun­try.
    "you strike a woman...you strike a rock"

  13. March 28th, 2011 at 20:00
    rachel says:

    i find this inter­est­ing im doing a pro­ject on womans day at school

  14. April 13th, 2011 at 08:17
    hay­ley francke says:

    i sup­port the fact that women should have the same rights as men.i am proud to call myself proudly south african and i am extremly proud and great­ful to what al the women have done

  15. April 13th, 2011 at 08:22
    hay­ley francke says:

    i sup­port the fact that women should have the same rights as men.i am proud to call myself proudly south african and i am extremly proud and great­ful to what all the women have done

  16. April 13th, 2011 at 08:23
    maryam says:

    I am definately proud to called myself a proud female south african....GO S.A!!!!

  17. July 4th, 2011 at 12:40
    Tsholo Kotsedi says:

    I am proud to be a women espe­cially a South African.I humbly thank­ing all bo mama who par­ti­cip­ated on the march in 1956,You're indeed The rocks!!!

  18. July 8th, 2011 at 12:35
    owen_mshengu_sharif green­land says:

    20,000 Women march­ing on to Union Buildings in Pretoria on August 09, 1956 — June 16, 1976 has to be acknow­ledged as the corner­stone of their cour­ageous uprising ...

    AMANDLA!

  19. August 8th, 2011 at 13:09
    Amanda says:

    Thank God for them, for people that changed circumstances!

  20. August 8th, 2011 at 22:57
    Angel Kekana says:

    Our moth­ers are as brave as a lions, they always pro­tect what they want indeed, they have pro­tect our coun­try. Without u we won't be cel­eb­rat­ing Women's day, re a leboga bomma

  21. August 9th, 2011 at 09:31
    NAGIHAN says:

    i'm proudly south african and proud of what the coun­try has achieved.won't trade my south africa for any other.womans day is the best day that hap­pens for many woman in south africa. VIVA SOUTH AFRICA.

  22. August 24th, 2011 at 10:38
    zodwa mak­weya says:

    women march­ing on to union build­ing in pre­toria on june 16 wath­inta bafazi wa thinti mbokoto!!!!

    AMANDLA

  23. August 24th, 2011 at 10:40
    zodwa mak­weya says:

    women march­ing on to union build­ing in pre­toria on june 16 wath­inta bafazi wa thinti mbokoto!!!!

    AMANDL

  24. September 28th, 2011 at 10:07
    nom­pumelelo mtatase says:

    thanks 4 da speech u realy helped me with my his­tory task nd wow it rocks

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