Wathinta abafazi wathit’i mbokodo (You strike a woman, you strike a rock!)
Women’s month is upon us and at Flow Communications we take time to look back and remember the many women who took to the streets of Pretoria on August 9, 1956 to protest against pass laws and apartheid.
Pass laws required all non-white men and women to carry a pass book to prove that they were allowed to enter a certain area in South Africa, including the cities.
Over 20 000 women from all corners of South Africa joined that struggle and protested in front of the Union Buildings to show their opposition to this law.
Upon reaching the Union Buildings the women, led by anti-apartheid activist Helen Joseph and others, handed over a petition to then Prime Minister JG Strijdom’s office, indicating their anger and frustration at having to carry passes and having their movements restricted.
According to Sahistory.org, many of the African women wore traditional dress, others wore the green, black and gold colours of the African National Congress; Indian women were clothed in white saris.
Many women had babies on their backs and some domestic workers brought their white employers’ children along with them. Throughout the demonstration, the huge crowd displayed discipline and dignity.
At the end of the march, some women started chanting “wathint’ umfazi wathint’ imbokodo!” (“you strike a woman you strike a rock!”), while others sang the national anthem as they boarded their buses, trains and taxis back to their homes.
Women have come a long way from those women who protested at the Union Buildings to being leaders in business, households and other parts of society.
While times have changed since 1956, and some women are now treated as intellectuals, are respected, and are leaders in fields that were previously dominated by men, there is still a long way to go before we have full gender equality in South Africa and the rest of the world.
Flow salutes the brave women who took to the streets of Pretoria; they paved a way for many women in South Africa.
So this Women’s month, treat the women in your life like queens: love them, appreciate them and tell them how much you care about them.
But don’t let this only be for this month, strive to make each day National Women’s Day. Don’t wait for Mother’s Day, her birthday, Easter, National Women’s Day or Christmas to tell your mother, wife, friends and girlfriend you love and appreciate her.
Happy National Women’s Day!