To know where South Africa’s National Women’s Day comes from, you have to look back 62 years to 9 August 1956. This was an important day in our history, when women stood up for their rights en masse for the first time.
20 000 women from all parts of the country, marched on the Union Buildings in protest against the Apartheid Pass Laws.
History of Women’s Day
The women who filled the amphitheatre gathered under the auspices of the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW). In addition to their demonstration, they also delivered 100 000 signatures – no mean feat in an era without social media and technology.
FEDSAW itself was composed mostly of affiliated women’s groups, African, Indian, Coloured and White political organisations and trade unions, representing over 230 000 women at the time.
It’s objectives were:
to bring women of South Africa together to secure full equality of opportunity for all women, regardless of race, colour or creed;
To remove social, legal and economic disabilities
To work for the protection of women and children
The objectives above continue to be central to Women’s Day/month today. Now in its 62nd year, Women’s Day provides the opportunity to measure the progress of gender equality in our country and to recommit to it.
Here are some useful links to make your Women’s Day Celebration a memorable one:
Empowerment of women in the workforce means encouraging them to take more control of their own lives by:
creating financial independence
upskilling themselves
advancing their qualifications
fighting for equal pay
demanding equal opportunities
standing against sexual and domestic violence
improving their parenting skills
improving their relationship skills
keeping perspective
developing values to live by
discovering the power of choice
becoming independent and self-reliant
crafting their own personal brand
managing their stress
This Women’s Day, remind your female staff about the valuable place they have in society and how they can take more control over their lives by inviting an inspirational guest speaker with whom they can identify and who can identify with them.
Award-winning speaker and best-selling author, Nikki Bush, helps individuals and teams to win at life and work. Her passion for connection and relationships, and how to maintain them in a fast-changing world, is at the core of everything she does as a human potential thought leader.
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