Commemorating Women’s Month: A Reflection

In the year 1956, 20 000 South African women from across the country marched upon the Union Buildings in protest. Just 2 years before that, the Women’s Charter was formulated, where women stood up for themselves, claiming their rights and calling for the respect and recognition of their human dignity. More than just protest against oppressive laws of the Apartheid government, women from all walks of life, background and culture organised themselves, collaborated and came together, to unite against a society steeped in patriarchy, colonialism, discrimination and inequality. Today, that protest is still underway by women in the streets of our cities, the halls of our schools and the boardrooms of our workplaces for a seat at the table. Today, we remember and commemorate the moment of unity and solidarity achieved on 9th August, as Women’s Day.  

The Work of Empowerment

Though much has changed in the modern world, the struggles of women persist and the calls for “respect and recognition” in a society that remains largely structured to benefit men’s experiences, beckons across our nation. For as long as the responsibilities of women in the home and the economy are not recognised and compensated for as those of men, there will always be a reason for women to find ways to empower themselves, make their voices heard and their actions felt towards the outcome of a more equitable society. The work of women’s empowerment therefore rests in an acknowledgement of our nation’s oppressive past and a daily undoing of that history collectively, through actions by both men and women that call out the error in the ways of society, in order to challenge and correct the skewed lens through which women are still perceived today.


We Stand With Them That Stand For Her

This August, we stand with them that stand for Her. We stand with the men and women who while celebrating this month, recognise that real change is necessary and the right thing to do. We stand with those that acknowledge that though women vote and hold office, have entered the labour market and higher education, become entrepreneurs and breadwinners, they still remain underrepresented in seats around business tables, undermined in decision-making within their homes and, unprotected in the streets and public spaces of our society. Yes, the game must be the same, but it means very little if the playing field isn't levelled.

We stand with the diverse women of South Africa, who empower her sisters wherever they may meet, and who understand the necessity and importance of bringing up others, as she rises.

We celebrate you, bold, daring, beautiful innovator, breadwinner, mother, sister, pillar of strength, warrior, confidant, nurturer and friend. We celebrate you, WOMAN!

Happy Woman’s Day!