Why Does South Africa Celebrate Women’s Day on August 9?
South Africa’s Women’s Day honors the courageous women who led a monumental march in 1956 against the apartheid government’s oppressive “pass laws.”
While South Africa joins the world to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, the country also dedicates another day to honor its women — August 9. This date carries a powerful story that reaches back over 60 years — a story that vividly illustrates the undeniable role women have played in the fight for liberation, social justice and political change.
It starts with apartheid. From 1948 to 1994, South Africa centered an apartheid government: a system of institutionalized racial discrimination. Designed to uphold white minority rule, apartheid divided the population into racial groups — white, Indians, colored (mixed race) and Black (African), each with varying degrees of rights and privileges. This system strictly restricted where people could live, work and travel, and enforced racial segregation in all aspects of life — from education to use of public facilities.
Pass laws
A central feature of apartheid was the “pass laws,” which required Black South Africans to carry passbooks, known as “dompas,” at all times. These passbooks held personal details such as employment, residence and travel permissions. You couldn’t move without one, you couldn’t work without one, you couldn’t access “whites-only” spaces without one. Failure to produce a passbook on demand could lead to arrest, detention and fines. These “pass laws,” initially targeting Black men, were extended to Black women in the early 1950s, further restricting their freedom and mobility. South African women were not having it. They decided enough was enough. On Aug. 9, 1956, they decided to march for change.
The women who made the march possible
The march went down in history as one of the most groundbreaking — and uniting — moments in the struggle against apartheid. Some of the women who mobilized for the demonstration, and made it possible are:
Lilian Ngoyi: A prominent anti-apartheid activist and the first woman elected to the executive committee of the African National Congress (ANC), Ngoyi played a crucial role in organizing the march and delivering petitions, over 100,000 of them, that rejected the “pass laws.”
Helen Joseph: A founding member of the Congress of Democrats and a staunch advocate for women’s rights, Joseph was instrumental in coordinating the nationwide effort to gather signatures for the petition.
Rahima Moosa: An activist involved in the South African Indian Congress and the ANC Women’s League, Moosa deeply involved herself in the collective planning and execution of the march.
Sophia Williams-De Bruyn: A trade unionist and anti-apartheid activist, she was only 18 years old at the time of the march, making her the youngest leader. Williams-De Bruyn played a significant role in mobilizing women and later became the first female deputy speaker of the South African Parliament. A true South African icon, she was also the first recipient of the Women’s Award for exceptional national service.
The protest
On Aug. 9, 1956, about 20,000 women of all races marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, and presented the petition opposing the “pass laws.” The protest was deliberately organized to take place on a Thursday, the day of the week when many African domestic workers were on leave. This ensured mass participation across the board. During the protest, thousands of women stood silently outside Prime Minister J.G. Strijdom’s door for 30 minutes before singing the protest song: “Wathint’ Abafazi Wathint’imbokodo!” Which means: “Now you have touched a woman, you have struck a rock.”
Today, this revolutionary phrase has come to symbolize the strength and courage of South African women.
The march was a powerful demonstration of female solidarity and political strength. It played an unmissable role in challenging apartheid policies, and highlighted the impact that women, with their voices united, have in the struggle for freedom and equality.
Today, Women’s Day in South Africa is observed annually on August 9. It serves as a public holiday, and the entire month is dedicated to celebrating the contributions and sacrifices of women in shaping the country’s history.
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