South Africa is commemorating 70 years since the Women's March of 1956, an event where approximately 20,000 women of all races protested apartheid laws that restricted the movement of Black women. This historic demonstration in Pretoria was a pivotal moment in the struggle against white minority rule.
Despite the passage of seven decades since women risked arrest and severe repercussions to challenge racist legislation, many assert that their battle for true freedom in South Africa remains incomplete. They continue to confront high rates of gender-based violence, pervasive poverty, and systemic inequality.
A 2024 study supported by UN Women revealed that over one-third of South African women have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
Ramnie Dinat, now 84, was a teenager when she helped her mother, an anti-apartheid activist, organize women for the August 9, 1956, march. Women of Black, Indian, and even some white backgrounds participated, driven by a belief in their collective power to enact change.
The Women's Jail Museum
The Women's Jail, located in Johannesburg, was a significant part of the apartheid prison system. Today, it functions as a museum near the Constitutional Court, symbolizing South Africa's transition from oppression to democracy. Many leaders and participants of the 1956 march were imprisoned in this facility, where racial segregation was enforced, mirroring the broader societal divisions of apartheid.
Nolubabalo Memese, Visitors Services Manager at Constitution Hill, described the jail as a place designed to "break, humiliate, dehumanize." She noted that Black women held there were subjected to degrading conditions, including restrictions on undergarments and access to proper sanitary supplies.
The museum now honors not only prominent figures like Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Albertina Sisulu but also the countless ordinary women whose sacrifices are often overlooked by history.
South African Paralympic wheelchair tennis champion Kgothatso Montjane, who won the 2024 Wimbledon wheelchair doubles title, stated that the struggle initiated by the women 70 years ago has "paved the way for us." As the first Black South African woman to compete in all four major tennis tournaments, Montjane acknowledged the foundational impact of the 1956 march.
Persistent Challenges: Violence and Inequality
While apartheid officially ended in 1994, allowing South African women greater freedom in movement, work, and societal participation, gender-based violence continues to undermine their liberty. Memese highlighted that gender violence and crime present a different kind of threat that restricts women's ability to enjoy freedom of movement and economic participation, affecting even simple activities like jogging in the early morning.
The United Nations has characterized the country's high rates of violence against women and girls as a crisis and a "national wound."
Economic disparities also continue to hinder South African women. Government statistics indicate that women are more likely than men to be unemployed, bear the burden of unpaid care work, and remain underrepresented in senior leadership positions.
Montjane also pointed to structural inequalities within sports, where financial barriers limit access to elite competition, despite the success of a few. She described the challenges in tennis as primarily financial, noting that it remains a sport where people of color are not as dominant.
Despite these ongoing struggles, Montjane believes the women of 1956 fundamentally altered the historical trajectory for her and subsequent generations. She feels the platform has been set for future progress. The museum's construction using bricks from the original Women's Jail symbolizes this continuity, as Memese explained, "We are using the bricks of the past to build our future." She emphasized the importance of remembering history to avoid repeating past mistakes.
For Dinat, the lesson from the 1956 march remains relevant: "Every generation has its own struggles, and every generation has to decide whether it will stand up for what is right."