National Women's Day

The 1956 march

The protest happened on 9 August 1956. Around 20,000 women, of all races, walked to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. They were objecting to planned changes to the Urban Areas Act of 1950, the laws called pass laws. Under those laws, South Africans classified as black had to carry a passbook, an internal document that served to keep the population apart, to steer where people could live, and to manage migrant labour during apartheid. Four women led the group: Lillian Ngoyi, Rahima Moosa, Sophia Williams and Helen Joseph. The marchers left about 14,000 petitions at the doors of the prime minister's office, J. G. Strijdom, stood silently for half an hour, and then sang a song written for the occasion, Wathint' Abafazi Wathint' imbokodo.

Becoming a holiday

South Africa's first democratic government gave the date official standing, and 9 August 1995 was the first time it was kept as a national public holiday. Ten years later, in 2006, the march was re-enacted for its fiftieth anniversary, and many women who had walked in 1956 joined in again. The holiday has kept its link with that earlier campaign, but its purpose has widened since. Schools, trade unions, churches and community groups now use it for talks, marches and memorial events. It sits on the country's annual list of public holidays and arrives on the same date every year.

Issues the day raises

Beyond remembrance, the date works as a platform. Campaigners use it to raise the difficulties that African women still meet: raising children, violence in the home, harassment at work, pay that is not equal, and the fight to keep girls in school. The day is a chance to organise and to argue for change. Its aims are close to those of International Women's Day. Because it is a public holiday, people also have the time to attend rallies, marches and meetings, which is part of why the date can carry a campaign as well as a ceremony.

Change and reach

One measure of what has moved since apartheid ended is the number of women in office. Before 1994, women held 2.7% of seats in parliament. The national assembly later reached 27.7%, and representation across the country's government has nearly doubled, to about 48%. Those figures are quoted on the day as proof of progress and as a reminder that the work is unfinished. The date is also taken up outside the country: women at the National University of Lesotho held a National Women's Day protest against violence against women.

How National Women's Day is kept

The holiday is quiet in law and busy in practice. Work and school close for the day. Trade unions, women's organisations, political parties and church groups hold rallies, marches, panel talks and prayer services. Because the date remembers a silent protest, some gatherings open with a period of silence before the speeches. Others re-enact the walk to the Union Buildings or hand over petitions and letters. Awards go to women in public life, and families mark the day together. A statue of Frances Baard, who took part in the 1956 march, was unveiled in Kimberley on this date in 2009.

When and where

It falls on 9 August every year, the same date each time, and lasts a single day. That date was chosen because the 1956 march happened on it. Since it follows the fixed calendar rather than the moon or the seasons, no calculation is needed; the holiday is simply scheduled for 9 August. The first National Women's Day was on 9 August 1995.

It is a national holiday in South Africa, kept across the whole country, in cities, towns and rural areas alike. Its strongest association is with Pretoria, where the Union Buildings stand and where the 1956 march ended. Kimberley has a link too: a statue of Frances Baard was unveiled there on the day in 2009. The date has also been taken up by women in Lesotho.

What National Women's Day means

For many South Africans the day stands for the strength of women who faced a state that wanted to control where they could live and work. The song sung on the steps in 1956 turned into a saying about women being unmovable as rock, and it is quoted in speeches, on banners and in everyday talk. The petitions left at the prime minister's door carry a second meaning: that quiet, orderly protest can be powerful. The day also carries a promise, that the freedoms won in 1994 should reach women as fully as men.

Questions people ask about National Women's Day

See also

KgotlaA village meeting and customary court in Botswana, led by the chiefBastille DayFrance's national day marking the storming of the Bastille and the unity of the people on 14 July.Heritage DayA nationwide South African public holiday honouring the country's diverse culturesIndlamuA Zulu war dance of two warriors in pelts, matched move for move and stamped on the beat

Good reading and sources

• National Women's Day on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.