National Women's Day

National Women's Day is ( English for " National Women " ) is a public holiday in South Africa, which takes place every year on the 9th of August. He is a reminder of the march of many women, which took place on 9 August 1956. They demonstrated against apartheid laws by which by then the men were equipped largely disenfranchised with proof of work documents under regional restrictions and impose severe sanctions for violations. Later, these were replaced by a law from 1952 to mandatory identification documents, for male black Africans since February 1, 1958 - from 1963 also for women. The Reference book was always kept.

On August 9, 1956 20,000 women led a protest march to the seat of government of the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the proposed changes result in provisions of the Native Urban Areas Act of 1923 and other laws. These laws are called Pass Laws. The protesting women laid pack with more than 100,000 signatures from the door to the office of Prime Minister Strijdom.

The demonstrators stood 30 minutes in silence outside the building. Many of the women had their children with them. Many women who were working for whites as a nanny, brought their protégés. The women sang a protest song that was written for the occasion: Wathint ' abafazi, wathint ' imbokodo! Uzokufa! ( isiZulu for " You've touched the women, you have struck a rock! You will die !"). Ever since, this sentence in the form You strike a woman, you strike a rock ( English for " If you strike a woman, you strike a rock " ) for the courage and strength of women in South Africa.

The march was led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams - De Bruyn. Frances Baard also took part in the demonstration.

Since August 9, 1994 This Remembrance Day is annually celebrated as Women's Day in South Africa. On the 50th anniversary of a repeat of the protest march took place. Many participants of the original demonstration were there again.