Paying tribute to the class of ’56
"Our society is increasingly becoming unsafe for women and children with high rates of fermicide, GBV and rape."
The last living leader of the 1956 women’s march, Sophia Williams-de Bruyn says her comrades must be turning in their graves because of the high rate of violence against women and children in this country.
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“Our society is increasingly becoming unsafe for women and children with high rates of fermicide, GBV and rape,” said Williams-de Bruyn making reference to the recent incident of gang rape of eight women while they were shooting a music video in the West Rand.
The anti-Apartheid struggle veteran was speaking at a Women’s Day commemoration event on Sunday to pay homage to the women who led the 1956 march against pass laws at the Union Buildings.
The two part event which was organised by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Sophia and Henry De Bruyn Foundation kicked off at Avalon Cemetery where Helen Joseph and Lilian Ngoyi share a grave and ended at the Newclare Cemetery at the grave sites of Rahima Moosa and Albertina Sisulu.
Williams-de Bruyn paid tribute to the women of 1956 and said they were committed to justice for women even though they suffered many persecutions under the apartheid regime.
She urged the current generation of young women to take a leaf from the class of 1956 and work towards ending today’s challenges.
“We are living is seriously heart-breaking and dangerous times. As young people, it is incumbent upon you to get involved because you are the future of this country,” said Williams-de Bruyn.
“I must stress that if you are going to be involved, you have to be highly committed, bold, and brave.”
She went on to say that unlike her generation which faced one enemy which was the Apartheid system, today’s generation is facing a multitude of enemies which include poverty, GBV, unemployment and lack of service delivery.
Williams-de Bruyn said the current generation of women have an important role to play in fixing all these problems but they have to be brave because they may even have to face death in the process.
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“Our struggle icons, men and women paid the price with their lives.
“You are a different generation because you are educated and you have the laws which are there for you to make use of. Use these laws to fight the fights that lay before you,” said Williams-de Bruyn.
The commemorative event not only paid tribute to the class of 1956 but it also inspired the current generation of young girls as they learned about the brave women who confronted the brutal Apartheid system when it was not fashionable to do so.
Young women leaders such as Candice Chirwa and Nompendulo Mkhatshwa also spoke about the importance the current generation of women having a voice and a role to play in making society better.
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