Picksee by RenscheMari

It is Women’s Day in South Africa, here is a little bit about why we celebrate women’s day. Information from blog.sa-venues.com and www.sahistory.org.za

It has nothing to do with honouring women just because we need another “Mother’s Day”, this day commemorates the 9 August 1956 when women participating in a national march petitioned against pass laws … (For anyone who does not know the history – “pass laws” were legislation that required African persons to carry a document on them to ‘prove’ that they were allowed to enter a ‘white area’ during the Apartheid regime).

On this day in 1956, over 20 000 women of all races and ages from every corner of South Africa marched together towards the Union Buildings in Pretoria. These brave women were marching in protest against the pass laws that proposed even further restrictions on the movements of women.

Organised by the Federation of South African Women, the March was led by four brave women; Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Sophie Williams and Lilian Ngoyi. The leaders delivered petitions to Prime Minister JG Strijdom’s office within the Union Buildings.

Women throughout South Africa had put their names to these petitions indicating their anger and frustration at having their freedom of movement restricted by the hated official passes.

To conclude the Women’s March the women sang freedom songs such as Nkosi sikeleli Afrika, however, the song that became the anthem of the march was “Wathint’ abafazi, Strijdom!”

Today I want to say thank you to every women that is inspirational to me.You might not even know that you are an inspiration to me, so here’s to you Mom, my 2 Grandmothers, my girlfriends and peers. You have all influenced my life with not only the small stuff like teaching me that I not only have to be fair to people, but also to be fair to myself – I had to apply it to life this past week. To always dream bigger, reach for the stars – and that if it doesn’t work out right now, it will do soon, just believe and never give up ;) To love someone even though they make you soooo angry, forgive and forget! That if you work hard you will reap the benefits. And to all these women who protested in 1956, thank you for not giving up and respecting yourselves and to fight not only for yourself but for future woman in South Africa. You are all a support system I count on and look up to. Thank you.

Here are a couple of photos of my lovely mom! You Rock MOM! Thank you for listening when no one else would and to motivate me when I’m down. ;)

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