By Akani Nkuna
Political parties marked Women’s Day by paying tribute to the women of 1956, whose defiance they hailed as pivotal in challenging oppressive rule and laying the foundation for South Africa’s democratic values.
The ANC urged women to take pride in the sacrifices and struggles of the 1956 generation, emphasising the importance of knowing and claiming their rights.
“You have the right to be safe in your home, on the streets, and in your workplace,” ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said in a statement.
“You have the right to equal pay for work. You have the right to own land, to lead companies, to shape policies and to stand for public office. You have the right to live with dignity, free from fear, free from discrimination, and free from violence.”
Bhengu urged women to take up leadership roles that would enable them to steer the country through meaningful change and participate in global forums shaping policy.
“We call on the women of our country to assert these rights without hesitation, to occupy space in leadership, to drive economic activity, to demand safety, to shape policy, and to influence every sector from local communities to global forums. These rights belong to you by virtue of your humanity and citizenship,” she added.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema addressed the party’s Women’s Day rally in Secunda, Mpumalanga, telling supporters that efforts to address poverty and inequality must prioritise empowering women.
“As we remember the women who stood up on this day in 1956, let us also take a moment to reflect on the long and painful history of South Africa’s domestic workers, the majority of whom are Black women,” Malema said.
He said the collective defiance of the 1956 march should serve as a benchmark for how South Africans can challenge systems that oppress and neglect the needs of the people.
Noting that the 1956 march drew together women from diverse professions — including nurses, domestic workers, and teachers — Malema argued that today’s working-class women have no excuse for being complicit when government mistreats the poor.
“Their struggle was not separate from the national struggle, it was central to it. These women were not only marching against passes. They were marching against poverty, racial injustice, exploitation, and the degradation of African families,” he said.
GOOD party leader Patricia de Lille called on South Africans not to ignore the suffering of women globally, particularly in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, and urged for solidarity.
“The Women’s Day, let us celebrate the strength of South African women by standing in solidarity with women globally, especially those whose lives are under threat. Let us honour the spirit of 1956 by continuing to speak out against injustice, in South Africa and world,” she said.
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