09 August 2026
The African National Congress (ANC) Parliamentary Caucus joins millions of South Africans in commemorating Women’s Day and Women’s Month by saluting the courage, resilience and political will of the women of 1956.
The historic march of these courageous women to the Union Buildings shook the foundations of apartheid oppression and proclaimed, with defiance and determination, that women would never stand on the sidelines of history, but would be at the forefront of the struggle to transform South Africa.
Nearly seven decades later, the conditions have changed, but the struggle for the full emancipation of women is far from over. As Cde Sophie de Bruyn, one of the last surviving leaders of the 1956 Women’s March, has reminded the nation, women continue to confront GBVF, poverty, unemployment, crime, inequality and other forms of oppression.
The ANC Parliamentary Caucus rejects the normalisation of violence against women and calls for the effective implementation of laws, stronger policing, functioning courts, comprehensive support for survivors and decisive accountability for perpetrators.
The ANC-led democratic government has established a comprehensive legislative and policy framework, including the Domestic Violence Act, Sexual Offences Act, Protection from Harassment Act and National Strategic Plan on GBVF. The establishment of the National Council on GBVF further strengthens the national response.
However, laws must translate into safety, justice and dignity. Where institutions fail women, accountability must follow. The ANC’s commitment to emancipation also extends to political and economic empowerment.
Its voluntary 50% gender parity principle has advanced women’s representation in strategic leadership positions across different sectors, government and Parliament. Yet representation must be matched by economic freedom through greater access to finance, skills, markets, land and decent work.
As we honour the women of 1956, we reaffirm that their march was an act of political defiance whose spirit must continue to guide our struggle.
The ANC Parliamentary Caucus salutes thousands of women whose courage helped shape our democracy.
The ANC Parliamentary Caucus will never abdicate the mandate entrusted to it by the people. We will continue to occupy the frontline of the struggle, using Parliament to defend democratic gains, advance transformative policies and ensure that the promise of freedom, equality and dignity becomes a lived reality for every woman in South Africa.
Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo!
The struggle for women’s emancipation continues.
ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS
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