South Africa 
South Africa marks national women day

On this day, South Africa especially conmemorates women such as the late Cdes Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph and Dora Tamana, key persons in the march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria - the event that most vehemently marks African women's struggle for liberty. 

- This day still brings us together to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of women in the liberation struggle and the transformation of our society and to remember and honour the 20,000 women who took action to protest against the extension of pass laws to include black women in 1955, South Africa's trade union, COSATU yesterday stated. 

According to the union, "National Women’s Day in 2001, just as in 1956, takes place against a backdrop of many challenges, most notably the assault on the role of the state through the accelerated privatisation of state assets. The effect has been the marginalisation of the poor, as the basic services they desperately need have become commodified, to be run to make a profit."

Under the slogan "Women unite for a working class led women’s movement!" the trade union is to march for women's rights in South Africa. 

COSATU further is to "relentlessly campaign against" marginalisation of women in the workplace and society in general; globalisation; poverty that wears a feminist face; sexual harassment; violence against women and children; trafficking of women and children; ongoing wars; HIV/AIDS, which hits women especially hard and; appalling conditions of health and safety at work.

Also the government is marking the day. Yesterday, the governmental Gender Commission arranged a National Gender Summit, making several resolutions to promote national and regional gender issues.

Meanwhile, several provincial governments promoted their local heroines and "normal" women. Controversial Western Cape Premier Gerald Morkel honoured the "mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and female colleagues" in the province.

- In the past our women were often taken for granted, but under the new South African dispensation we have at last reached the stage where their importance in our communities are acknowledged and celebrated officially, Morkel said. "On Women's Day, I join in celebrating the struggles of women over past decades to strive for a society free of all kinds of discrimination, more especially discrimination against women."

The Western Cape Provincial Administration today also crowned the winners of a Provincial "Winning Women" competition. Women who have made a positive contribution in their respective communities were to receive awards. Nominations had been received from all over the province, the provincial government informed.

Also in the province of Gauteng, Premier Mbhazima Shilowa today hosted Women's Day Celebrations. As part of the formal ceremony the Premier was to give awards to three women from Gauteng in what is the first of the annual Premier's Awards for Women Achievers. The ceremony was to be followed by a cultural programme.

Background
On 9 August 1956, thousands of women converged on Union Buildings, Pretoria, to hand over to the Prime Minister of the apartheid government thousands of petitions signed by women all over the country, demanding an end to pass laws. 

The women had come from all over South Africa. Whilst the overwhelming majority were black women (who were the immediate victims of pass laws), women of all racial groups participated. The petition thus was ignored by the apartheid government. 

Every year since then, 9 August, was remembered as a very special day on South Africa's calendar - not officially - but by South Africans wanting to honour women and gender issues. For 38 years, the day was marked without official approval. 

Since 1994, however - the year apartheid and white domination came to an end - 9 August has been a public holiday - National Women's Day - to celebrate what South African have achieved in the area of women's rights and to the commitment to the total emancipation of South African women.

Sources: Based on COSATU, SA govt. and afrol archives

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