This year's commemoration, held under the theme "Empowered Women, Empower Nations," also emphasises improving women's access to quality healthcare, which the Presidency described as "vital for sustainable development, social justice and economic growth."
The Legacy of 1956
The 1956 march was a watershed moment in South Africa's history. On 9 August, more than 20,000 women of all races and backgrounds peacefully marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to oppose the apartheid government's decision to extend urban pass laws to women.
Their bravery became a powerful symbol of unity and resilience, giving South Africa the well-known words, "Wathint' abafazi, wathint' imbokodo" — you strike a woman, you strike a rock. The march was a precursor to major political changes over the coming decades that led to the demise of the racist regime.
Since 1994, National Women's Day has been celebrated on 9 August every year as part of Women's Month, providing an opportunity for government and civil society to highlight challenges confronting women and profile programmes that advance women empowerment and gender equity.
A Nationwide Celebration
Beyond the official government commemoration, Women's Day events are taking place across the country. The Inkatha Freedom Party, led by President Velenkosini Hlabisa, will commemorate the day at the Protea South Multi-Purpose Hall in Soweto, with the party's Women's Brigade and National Executive Committee joining the celebration.
The IFP President will reflect on the enduring significance of the 1956 Women's March and outline the party's policy priorities for women ahead of the upcoming Local Government Elections, reaffirming its commitment to building safer communities and ensuring women are at the centre of local governance and development.
Tributes to the Women of 1956
At the launch of Women's Month on 1 August, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga paid tribute to the women who marched in 1956:
"With every step, they shook the pillars of oppression. With every stride, they redrew the boundaries of possibility. They marched as the authors of our liberation and freedom, the midwives of democracy, the first architects of a more equal South Africa and the custodians of a future they would never fully see but boldly chose to build."
A Touch of Red Exhibition
The Oliewenhuis Art Museum in Bloemfontein has opened an exhibition titled "A Touch of Red," running from 8 August 2026 to 10 January 2027, featuring archival photographs and artworks exploring the lives, histories and resilience of women.
Dedicated to the more than 20,000 women who marched in 1956, the exhibition is presented predominantly in black and white, interrupted only by touches of red — a visual language speaking at once of love and courage, dignity and determination, and, on its counterpart, of loss, violence and lives forever changed by gender-based violence.
Reflections on Progress and Unfinished Business
Seventy years after the 1956 march, women have made tremendous progress in education, business, healthcare, politics and sports. Yet many women still face discrimination, unemployment, harassment and violence.
Deputy Minister Nonceba Mhlauli, reflecting on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action earlier this year, noted that while progress has been made, "the progress is fragile, uneven, and in many parts of the world, it is reversing."
She also highlighted the devastating impact of conflict on women, saying: "In these theatres of war and political upheaval, it is women and girls who bear the heaviest burden. They are displaced from their homes, stripped of access to education and healthcare, subjected to violence, and denied even the most basic forms of dignity."
With reporting from SAnews.gov.za, The Presidency, Cape Town ETC, Inkatha Freedom Party, Oliewenhuis Art Museum and the United Nations in South Africa.
