Women’s Day Celebration, Remembering 9 August 1956

As we reflect on the stand taken by women on 9 August 1956 may we always remember that today is more than a public holiday. Let us remember that a group of women took a stance and said: “No more!” Where are we in respect of the principles of the class of 1956: integrity, liberation, sisterhood, community, service and empowerment?

For a long time, women’s rights have been ignored. We are side-lined, marginalized, abused, misused and ignored. Laws have been passed, treaties have been agreed, yet we still find ourselves helpless as we stand before them. Yes, our rights exist in law, but in practice, we beg to differ. We share the rights to life, privacy, dignity and many more. Yet we find ourselves reading about another one of us brutally violated. Another mother, daughter, sister, friend violently removed from existence. To what end? Is the aim to exterminate women? What kind of world would that be? Men, the ones we look to for protection and security, where has it gone wrong? Your fathers, brothers, sons and friends are violating us under your noses and sometimes before your eyes.

Your silence, deafening. Your inaction, tragic.

The news you see, hear and read is not new. It has quietly been happening in the shadows of our conservative patriarchal society.

A light has been shined on our struggle in the shadows.

Our efforts to bring about change have sometimes been in vain.

Throughout the 20th century, women have risen up and stood for change.

Here in time was when we stood together and won.

On 9 August 1956, 20 000 women staged a march on the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act.
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We have been silent for long enough. It is time to break the silence, again. Today we make a stand to make our actions deliberate and united. When we stand united, we can lead to meaningful transformation. Let’s do the work and have the conversations to be our solution.

What will we do in 2020?

We all have our own journeys to walk, we can walk it together.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

African Proverb