The year is 2025, and South Africa’s women and children cry out in silence. Their suffering is rampant, yet too often unheard. This August 9 should not be a celebration but a call to action. Day after day, injustice strikes: from relatives or supposed safe spaces. Our marches, petitions, and pleas may not yet have moved the government, but they honour those who marched before us, keeping their legacy alive.
As a woman and especially a woman of colour, this day reminds me of the unwavering strength inside me. Every dawn carries the weight of survival. Each sunrise demands resilience. We draw inspiration from the 20,000+ women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956, demanding justice and dignity.
Their silent protest, their petitions, their chant “Wathint’ abafazi wathint’ imbokodo” (“you strike a woman, you strike a rock”) still reverberates. Like the 20,000+ women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956, I draw power from their courage. Their blood-stained clothes and bodies may be gone, but their legacy remains. I refuse to believe their liberation fight was in vain.
But today, the situation is dire. South Africa continues to grapple with a devastating gender‑based violence crisis. One in three women suffers abuse from intimate partners, often in “safe” spaces. We teach safety tips, but the crisis of gender‑based violence (GBV) persists, with many cases going unreported. Most assaults go unreported. This silent epidemic extends across homes, schools, even institutions meant to protect us.
So again—what truly is there to celebrate? When danger lurks in every corner, safety is a privilege few can afford.
Over years, we’ve pleaded for government agencies to work together, not in isolation. Coordinated effort could be our first step toward real protection. Practical solutions built on funding and empowerment, not just marches and slogans—can equip women and children to defend themselves. It’s unreasonable to expect them to stay home in a society riddled with violence. Instead, systemic cooperation is essential for real improvement. Governmental intervention can be transformative.
Yet there are glimmers of progress. The National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Act was passed in May 2024 to coordinate a comprehensive response to GBV—but it’s not yet fully operational. The government has also launched GBV‑F blitz programs and revived inter-ministerial coordination structures—but law enforcement weaknesses, underfunding, and reactive strategies remain obstacles.
Still, let August 9 remind us that this day honours not just those who came before, but also the struggle we continue. Women’s Day isn’t just history; it is a rallying cry. The spark lit by the heroes of 1956 still burns. Their march paved the way, but their legacy demands that we march onward—for our mothers, daughters, sisters, and ourselves.
We are not free until every woman is free.
Written by Thanduxolo Love Mtsweni
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