Bridge the Gap

Malibongwe igama lamakhosikazi (honour to the women)

August is Woman’s month! South Africa is one of the very few countries that have a public holiday to honour the role women played in their history.

Ekurhuleni commemorates Women’s Month in August as a tribute to the role of women in the struggle for freedom and in our society at large. Each year on Woman’s Day we celebrate the brave women who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. The historic march was a turning point in the diverse role that women played in the community.

One of the stalwarts of this historic 1956 event was a daughter of Ekurhuleni, Mam Bertha Gxowa. Mam Bertha passed away in 2010 and the Germiston Hospital was then renamed after her. 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.

Today we have a democratic non-racial, non-sexist community in a country, with progressive laws and policies aimed towards women empowerment and gender equality. We have a constitution, which has affirmed all citizens of this country, including women, by recognising and upholding their rights.

Ekurhuleni also has several programs and initiatives dedicated to the emancipation of women as a tool to create a future “free from unfair discrimination, inequality, abuse and exploitation” of women.

The Constitution of South Africa defines in detail the vision of a society that the country strives towards – the creation of a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa.

Together we can bridge the gap of violence and poverty through gender equality and women empowerment. Many of us also take this opportunity on Woman’s Day to pay tribute to the women in our daily lives and the very special role they play. Let’s bridge the gap this Woman’s Day and honour our grandmothers, mothers, wives and daughters. Woman is God’s gift to mankind.