Women's Day

9 August

Women's Day 2012

A Centenary of Working Together towards Sustainable Women Empowerment and Gender Equality

Women's Day marks the anniversary of the great women's march of 1956, where women marched to the Union Buildings to protest against the carrying of pass books.

On 9 August 1956, about 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against legislation aimed at tightening the apartheid government's control over the movement of black women in urban areas.

This year’s Women’s Day celebrations were held at Thulamahashe Stadium, Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga. President Jacob Zuma gave the keynote address at the event.

Read more about the background of and government messages for Women's Day on the Women's Month page.

Event Category

Share this page

Similar categories to explore