Women’s Day — It’s been a long walk to freedom.
It was a Thursday on the 9th day of August in the year 1956 which forever changed the lives for women in South Africa. It was the day where 20,000 women of all races took to the streets and marched for their rights to the Union Building in Pretoria, protesting against the proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act — known as the pass book or dompass which translates to the stupid pass.

The march was organized by the Federation of South African Women in conjunction with the ANC Women’s League and was led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams. It was a peaceful protest where the women left 14,000 petitions, filled with 100,000 signatures at the doors of the Prime Minister. They stood in silence for 30 minutes before singing a protest song — Wathint’Abafasi Wathint’imbokodo! Now you have touched the women, you have struck a rock. The saying “You strike a woman, you strike a rock” has come famous to represent women’s courage and strength in South Africa.

Being a woman, living in South Africa, I sit here today, 61 years later lost in thought as I think back to this day. It reminds me of how far we’ve come, and what a long way we still have to go.
We work and support 6 local communities in Limpopo. Our model aims to harness human and environment potential to create dynamic self-sufficient economies that will drive land reform and job creation based on the leading economic drivers within the rural area. We have a strong focus on education and female entrepreneurship to make this a reality.

It comes with sadness when I think to the rural communities in the Letaba area of Limpopo. There have been many occasions where it is obvious that women in these rural communities hold very little respect by their male counterparts. I am proud to be working towards changing this. It is no easy feat! We have a long way to go, although if we can empower women by educating those who have no hope and provide them with the opportunity to achieve greatness in their life, then that’s all we can really ask for.
Today, women have made strides in all sectors of society. Whether it be in business, science, education or politics, South African women have come a long way to have their voices heard and respected. I feel inspired to be sitting here as a foreigner in South Africa and watching what the Lionesses of Africa are achieving. I long for the day where the women lost within the rural communities of the forgotten provinces make a mark for themselves and be heard and respected by their male counterparts.
