South Africa Marks 70 Years Since Women’s March as Violence Persists
Women say the legacy of the 1956 march is unfinished as a U.N.-backed study found more than one in three have faced violence.
- South Africa commemorates on Sunday 70 years since the Women's March of 1956, when around 20,000 women of all races marched to Pretoria to protest apartheid laws forcing Black women to carry passes that restricted their movement.
- Perched on a ridge overlooking central Johannesburg, the Women's Jail now operates as a museum near the Constitutional Court, honoring thousands of ordinary women whose sacrifices during the era of racist laws went largely unnoticed.
- Seven decades later, many women in South Africa say their fight for freedom remains unfinished as they grapple with high rates of gender-based violence, poverty, and inequality. The United Nations has described these rates as a "national wound."
- Ramnie Dinat, 84, a teenager during the 1956 march, says every generation must "decide whether it will stand up for what is right," while Paralympic champion Kgothatso Montjane notes that financial barriers still limit opportunities for women of color.
- Visitors Services Manager Nolubabalo Memese emphasizes society must use the "bricks of the past to build our future," warning that "once we forget the past, it's very easy for us to make the same mistakes.
16 Articles
16 Articles
The Toronto Star
70 years after South Africa’s women challenged apartheid, some say their freedom isn’t complete
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa commemorates on Sunday 70 years since the Women's March of 1956, when around 20,000 women of all races marched to the administrative capital, Pretoria, to protest apartheid laws forcing Black women to carry passes that…
Associated Press News
70 years after South Africa’s women challenged apartheid, some say their freedom isn't complete
South Africa is commemorating 70 years since the Women's March of 1956, when around 20,000 women protested apartheid laws in Pretoria.
From Freedom to Flourishing: Honouring 70 Years of South African Women
9 August 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the historic 1956 Women’s March, a defining moment in South Africa’s journey towards freedom, equality, and justice. On that day, more than 20,000 women from every walk of life marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest the extension of the Pass Laws. Led by extraordinary women including Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, they stood together in peaceful d…
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