Today is Women’s Day
National Women's Day is an annual public holiday in South Africa which is celebrated on August 9
With today being Women’s Day, you can expect many travelling to holiday destinations.
However, there is much more to this day than it being a public holiday.
National Women’s Day is an annual holiday in South Africa which is celebrated on August 9.
On August 9, 1956, 20,000 women staged a march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to petition against legislation that required African persons to carry the ‘pass’.
The women sang a protest song that was composed in honour of the occasion: Wathint’Abafazi Wathint’imbokodo! (Now you have touched the women, you have struck a rock).
In the 60 years since, the phrase has come to represent women’s courage and strength in South Africa.
In 2006, a re-enactment of the march was staged for its 50th anniversary, with many of the 1956 march veterans attending.
The month of August is now dedicated to women and is marked by several government events such as a trade fair for women’s crafts and a symposium on labour issues.
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