What is National Women’s Day In South Africa?
National Women’s Day is a South African public holiday celebrated annually on 9 August. The day commemorates the 1956 march of approximately 20,000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to petition against the country’s passing laws that required South Africans defined as
“black” under The Population Registration Act to carry an internal passport, known as a passbook, that served to maintain population segregation, control urbanization, and manage migrant labor during the apartheid era. The first National Women’s Day was celebrated on 9 August 1995. In 2006, a reenactment of the march was staged for its 50th anniversary, with many of the 1956 march veterans.
Who fought for women’s rights in South Africa?
Born Aug. 5, 1903, Ida Fiyo Mntwana was an anti-apartheid activist who is best known for her role as the first president of the ANC Women’s League in 1949.
Mntwana was a dressmaker before she saw the need to become involved in politics and lead a host of women’s demonstrations in the Western Native Township.
What happens on the day of National Women’s Day In South Africa?
It takes place on 9 August each year and it commemorates the 1956 Women’s March. The day is also used to draw attention to the significant issues women still face throughout South Africa.
The day is part of Women’s Month, and events and celebrations take place throughout August.
How is National Women’s Day celebrated in South Africa?
National Women’s Day is celebrated with various events and activities that honor the past, empower the present, and inspire the future.
In schools, workplaces, and communities across the country, people gather to pay tribute to the women who shaped South Africa’s history.