Strike a woman, strike a rock

Have we ever wondered why we celebrate Women’s day on August 9 in South Africa?

It has nothing to do with honouring women just because we need another ‘Mothers’ Day”. This day commemorates August 9, 1956, when women participating in a national march petitioned against pass laws, legislation that required African persons to carry a document on them to “prove” that they were allowed to enter a “white area” during the apartheid regime.

On this day over 20 000 women of all races and ages from every corner of South Africa marched on the Union Buildings in Pretoria in protest against the pass laws, that proposed even further restrictions on the movement of women and delivered petitions to the office of prime minister JG Strijdom. Women throughout South Africa signed petitions indicating their anger at having their freedom of movement restricted by the hated official passes.

When women sang Freedom songs such as Nkosi Sikilel iAfrika, but the anthem of the march was “Wathinta Abafazi Strijdom”:

When you strike the women,

you strike a rock,

you will be crushed.

Our freedom was not fought for by our men alone, but also by the mothers of our nation. We all support that women must have the same rights as men.

We salute the four brave women who led this march: Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Sophie Williams and Lilian Ngoyi.

We acknowledge with sincerity the tremendous progress women have made in all walks of life. Their swift advancement in politics, education and male-dominated professions, yet never neglecting their tender love and care in family and social matters.

We cannot do without one another so let us continue to coexist in peace and harmony. God loves us all.

BILLY PETER

Glenhills