As the month of August dawns upon us, the country will commemorate Women’s Month and the famous 1956 women’s march against the infamous pass laws of the former apartheid regime. This year’s Women’s Month and day activities will be celebrated under the theme: “100 Years of Albertina Sisulu, Woman of Fortitude: Women United in Moving South Africa Forward”.
The iconic 1956 march saw 20 000 women march to the Union Building to protest against the discriminatory pass laws, which required South Africans defined as “Black” to carry an internal passport known as a pass. Whilst this served to promote racial segregation, it also purported white supremacy. This march has been celebrated since 1995 on the 9th of every August to recognise the important role played by women during the struggle for liberation against colonisation and apartheid.
This year’s commemoration takes on a special significance as it is the year of the “triple centenary”. South Africa celebrates the birth of struggle icon Mama Albertina Sisulu and Tata Nelson Mandela as well as the formation of the Bantu Women’s League. The commemoration is also used to give expression to critical issues facing women of today, particularly the gender-based violence and the economic empowerment of women.
It is against this background that the National Department of Women is calling upon all public servants to observe a moment of silence on 1 August 2018 at exactly 13h00 for all victims of violence.
