Northern Cape Youth based Entrepreneurs and Women based Sporting Organizations are set to receive support from the Provincial Administration. Thirty beneficiaries will each receive a support of 10-thousand rand during the 2022 Provincial Women's Day celebrations scheduled to be held at Lowryville Community Hall in Colesberg in the Pixley ka Seme District on Tuesday, 09 August 2022. The celebrations will be led by Premier Dr. Zamani Saul together with Acting MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Ms. Fufe Makatong and the leadership of Pixley ka Seme District and Umsobomvu Local Municipalities and other Members of his Executive Council.
The history of August 9, 1956 dates back to when 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings against the Urban Areas Act.
On this day, the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW) led by four women Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn delivered petitions to the then Prime Minister - JG Strydom’s office in the Union Buildings.
This year National Women’s Day and Women’s Month is marked under the theme: “Women’s Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment: Building Back Better for Women’s Improved Resilience.”
The Northern Cape Provincial Administration will be unveiling a number of programmes aimed at women empowerment during the month of August. The programmes includes Self Defence Training, Netball Tournament, Story Telling and Women Dialogue amongst others. Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will launch Netball Fridays as part of its build-up activities towards the 2023 Netball World Cup competitions. The Office on the Status of Women in the Office of the Premier will conduct Gender Based Violence Summit with intentions of crafting a provincial plan relating to GBV and Femicide.
Women throughout the country had put their names to petitions indicating their anger and frustration at having their freedom of movement restricted by the hated and degrading official passes they were being forced to carry all the time. Although Prime Minister J.G.Strijdom was not at the Union Buildings to accept the petition, the women of South Africa collectively sent out a resounding public message that they would not be intimidated and silenced by unjust laws.
These 20 000 women stood outside the Union Building and remained silent for 30 minutes which was only broken by the singing of a women’s protest song composed in honour of the occasion.
The 1956 Women’s March was one of the largest demonstrations staged in this country’s history and was underpinned by the adoption of the Women’s Charter of 1954. Thus FEDSAW challenged the idea that “a woman’s place is in the kitchen”. Instead, they declared that a woman’s place is “everywhere”.
The official Women’s Day programme will also feature a stage production showcasing various challenges faced by women.
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Issued by: Communications Unit
Northern Cape Sport, Arts and Culture Department
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