Women's Month

1 - 31 August

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Women's Day 2012

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

South Africa commemorates Women’s Month in August as a tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. The Government of South Africa declared August women’s month and 9 August is celebrated annually as Women’s Day.

Women's Month 2013

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. The theme for Women’s Day 2013 will be “A Centenary of Working Together towards Sustainable Women Empowerment and Gender Equality”.

The focus for this year will also be on the impact of the 1913 Natives Land Act, as well as programmes and projects to accelerate women’s access to land. Since the dawn of democracy in 1994, government has made significant progress in empowering women in the spheres of politics, the public sector and education. The country has moved from the past where women suffered oppression based on their gender, colour and class to one where gender equality is now a constitutional imperative.

Since 1994, government has put in place a range of legislation to create an enabling environment for women, and to improve their participation in income-generating activities in the economy. More importantly, the Government has prioritised improving the provision of basic services in rural areas particularly to women. To achieve this goal, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in 2009 introduced the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP), to ensure that a better life for all becomes a reality. 

The CRDP aims to improve the living standards and welfare of people in rural areas through the provision of basic services; small, medium and macro-enterprises development and rural industrialisation. Government is nevertheless mindful that more still needs to be done particularly to fight all forms of violence against women and children.

Events for 2013

News on Women's Month

Photo gallery

Videos

President Jacob Zuma's message for Women's Month Human chain of 2 000 women  links Freedom Park and Voortrekker Monument President Jacob Zuma at National Women's Day

Blogs on Women's Month

Origin of Women's Month and Day

The historic march in 1956 was a turning point in the role of women in the struggle for freedom and society at large. Since that eventful day, women from all walks of life became equal partners in the struggle for a non-racial and non-sexist South Africa.

The march was coordinated by the Federation of South African Women (Fedsaw) led by four women: Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams De Bruyn. These leaders delivered petitions to the then Prime Minister JG Strijdom’s office in the Union Buildings. Women throughout the country had put their names to these petitions indicating their anger and frustration at having their freedom of movement restricted by the hated official passes.

Women’s month is a tribute not only to the thousands of women who marched on that day in 1956, but also a tribute to the pioneers of the women’s movement in this country, dating back to 1913, when women like Charlotte Maxeke led the way in establishing the ANC Women’s League and encouraging women to engage in the struggle for freedom. Pioneers include Cissy, Jaynab and Amina Gool who were amongst the leaders of the National Liberation League and the Non-European United Front of the 1930s. The names of Ray Alexander Simons, Elizabeth Mafekeng and Elizabeth Abrahams will always be associated with the struggles of women.

In the 1940s Amina Pahad and Gadijah Christopher, who were amongst the first volunteers to occupy the site of the 1946 Passive Resistance Campaign on Umbilo Road in Durban cannot go unnoticed. Women’s month also service to recall and recognise the work of Dora Tamana, Winifred Siqwana, Ida Mntwana, Bertha Gxowa, Florence Matomela and other stalwarts of the 1950s, who led militant women’s formation for the rights of workers and the rights of women.

There were also the women who formed the Black Sashand who were the first to protest against the disenfranchisement of the Coloured voters during the 1950s. The Coloured voters played an important role in the united front of anti-apartheid forces that developed in the last three decades of apartheid.

Government has made significant progress in empowering women in the political, public and educational spheres, but the marginalisation of poor women severely compromises progress.

Government's messages for Women's Month 2013

We celebrate the role of women in achieving democracy in our country. 

  • We salute South African women for their relentless struggle for liberation, democracy and human dignity.
  • They were at the forefront in transforming our society into the non-racial, non-sexist democracy we have today.
  • South Africa is today a constitutional democracy where gender equality is also a constitutional imperative. Our Constitution recognises women as equal citizens, with equal rights and responsibilities.
  • We are inspired by all patriotic women who took up the fight for gender equality and freedom.
  • This important month enables us to review how far we have come with regard to the emancipation and advancement of women in our society.
  • We are pursuing the dreams and aspirations of former President Nelson Mandela as we continue to respect basic human rights and commit to the rule of law and our Constitution.
  • As we mobilise society and the world towards 20 years of democracy and freedom, let us recognise the role that women have played in our liberation struggle and in building a non – racists, non-sexist democracy characterised by inclusiveness, equality, national pride and social cohesion. During the Women’s Month let us identify the unsung heroines in our communities who have played their part in shaping the collective life of the nation and in transforming our society and economy. Let us tell the stories of all those who have fought for women’s emancipation and gender equality.

The legacy of apartheid and its impact still lingers today. 

  • This year marks 100 years since the 1913 Land Act was passed yet its disastrous consequences continue to be felt.
  • It destroyed the potential economic growth that could have blossomed from communities who lost their land.
  • It also denied people the opportunity to farm, own land and accumulate wealth that could have been passed from one generation to the other
  • While the policies of apartheid were detrimental to the whole black population, it was women who were among the most affected.
  • Apartheid’s restrictions on African women forced them to remain in the homelands and to support their families without the help of men.
  • They faced poor living conditions, extreme poverty, malnutrition, illness and high infant mortality rates.


South Africa has taken bold steps to institutionalise gender equality and women empowerment.

  • Great strides have been made since 1994 to improve the status of women, although much more still needs to be done.
  • Prior to 1994, the South African Parliament had a mere 2,7% representation of women. After our first democratic elections in 1994 women representation in the National Assembly stood at 27,7%.
  • In 1999 that figure increased to 30% and then to 32,7% in 2004. After the 2009 national elections women representation reached 42%.
  • According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2012, this puts South Africa in fourth position worldwide for the greatest number of women in Parliament.
  • In the national executive, 14 of the Cabinet Ministers and 16 of the Deputy Ministers are women. In addition, five out of nine premiers are women, which mean the majority of provinces are governed by women.
  • Government is also finalising consultations towards the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill, which will ensure compliance both within government and the private sector with measures intended to promote women empowerment and gender equality.
  • This Bill is based on the International Instruments that South Africa has signed and ratified including the Beijing Platform for Action, The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the African Union (AU) Protocol, the Southern Africa Development Comunity (SADC) Gender Protocol, our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Government policies and programmes have improved the living conditions of women.

  • The Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities is promoting opportunities for women in rural, peri-urban and informal settlements to participate in green economy projects such as solar energy, water purification, agriculture, construction, waste management and tourism.
  • The Department is also facilitating financial support and training for women farmers and women's co-operatives with national and international partners.
  • Women are encouraged to register their companies and organisations on government’s database to access developmental and economic opportunities.
  • This is in line with the National Development Plan’s Vision 2030 that states the transformation of the economy should involve the active participation and empowerment of women.
  • The role of women as leaders in all sectors of society should be actively supported. Social, cultural, religious and educational barriers to women entering the job market should be dismantled.

Government prioritises women’s economic development in rural areas.

  • The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in 2009 introduced the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP), to ensure that a better life for all becomes a reality.
  • The CRDP aims to improve the living standards and welfare of people living in rural areas through the provision of basic services; small, medium and macro-enterprises development and rural industrialisation.
  • An integral part of the CRDP agenda is an integrated programme of rural development, land reform and agrarian change.
  • The CRDP is the Government’s response to a legacy that saw the forced removal of people from rural areas when their land was taken forcing them to leave their homes to seek employment in urban areas.
  • The CRDP is supported by the Integrated Food Security Production Intervention (IFSPI) initiative by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries that seeks to assist small-scale farmers, communities and households to produce basic food.
  • During the centenary commemorations of the 1913 Natives Land Act, government will advocate that more land be allocated to women. Government will ensure that the campaign includes young women and women with disabilities.
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