AUGUST- WOMEN MONTH CELEBRATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa commemorates Women’s Month in August as a tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. The Government of South Africa declared August women’s month and 9 August is celebrated annually as Women’s Day.

Women's Month 2013

This year’s Women’s Day celebrations will be held at Thulamahashe Stadium, Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga. President Jacob Zuma will give a keynote address at the event. The theme for Women’s Day 2013 will be “A Centenary of Working Together towards Sustainable Women Empowerment and Gender Equality”.

The focus for this year will also be on the impact of the 1913 Natives Land Act, as well as programmes and projects to accelerate women’s access to land. Since the dawn of democracy in 1994, government has made significant progress in empowering women in the spheres of politics, the public sector and education. The country has moved from the past where women suffered oppression based on their gender, color and class to one where gender equality is now a constitutional imperative.

Since 1994, government has put in place a range of legislation to create an enabling environment for women, and to improve their participation in income-generating activities in the economy. More importantly, the Government has prioritized improving the provision of basic services in rural areas particularly to women. To achieve this goal, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in 2009 introduced the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP), to ensure that a better life for all becomes a reality. 

The CRDP aims to improve the living standards and welfare of people in rural areas through the provision of basic services; small, medium and macro-enterprises development and rural industrialisation. Government is nevertheless mindful that more still needs to be done particularly tofight all forms of violence against women and children.

ORIGIN OF WOMEN'S MONTH AND DAY

The historic march in 1956 was a turning point in the role of women in the struggle for freedom and society at large. Since that eventful day, women from all walks of life became equal partners in the struggle for a non-racial and non-sexist South Africa.

The march was coordinated by the Federation of South African Women (Fedsaw) led by four women: Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosaand Sophia Williams De Bruyn. These leaders delivered petitions to the then Prime Minister JG Strijdom’s office in the Union Buildings. Women throughout the country had put their names to these petitions indicating their anger and frustration at having their freedom of movement restricted by the hated official passes.

Women’s month is a tribute not only to the thousands of women who marched on that day in 1956, but also a tribute to the pioneers of the women’s movement in this country, dating back to 1913, when women like Charlotte Maxeke led the way in establishing the ANC Women’s League and encouraging women to engage in the struggle for freedom. Pioneers include Cissy, Jaynab and Amina Gool who were amongst the leaders of the National Liberation League and the Non-European United Front of the 1930s. The names of Ray Alexander Simons, Elizabeth Mafekeng and Elizabeth Abrahams will always be associated with the struggles of women.

In the 1940s Amina Pahad and Gadijah Christopher, who were amongst the first volunteers to occupy the site of the 1946 Passive Resistance Campaign on Umbilo Road in Durban cannot go unnoticed. Women’s month also service to recall and recognise the work of Dora Tamana, Winifred Siqwana, Ida Mntwana, Bertha Gxowa, Florence Matomela and other stalwarts of the 1950s, who led militant women’s formation for the rights of workers and the rights of women.

There were also the women who formed the Black Sashand who were the first to protest against the disenfranchisement of the Coloured voters during the 1950s. The Coloured voters played an important role in the united front of anti-apartheid forces that developed in the last three decades of apartheid.

Government has made significant progress in empowering women in the political, public and educational spheres, but the marginalisation of poor women severely compromises progress.

All over South Africa, let us celebrate our women.

WE ARE WOMEN!