Csquared Menswear

Have you ever wondered why we cel­eb­rate Woman’s Day on the 9^th August in South Africa? It has noth­ing to do with hon­our­ing women just because we need another “Mother’s Day”, this day com­mem­or­ates the 9 August 1956 when women par­ti­cip­at­ing in a national march peti­tioned against pass laws. For any­one who does not know the his­tory — “pass laws” were legis­la­tion that required African per­sons to carry a doc­u­ment on them to ‘prove’ that they were allowed to enter a ‘white area’ dur­ing the Apartheid regime.

On this day in 1956, over 20 000 women of all races and ages from every corner of South Africa marched together towards the Union Buildings in Pretoria. These brave women were march­ing in protest against the pass laws that pro­posed even fur­ther restric­tions on the move­ments of women.

Organised by the Federation of South African Women, the March was led by four brave women; Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Sophie Williams and Lilian Ngoyi. The lead­ers delivered peti­tions to Prime Minister JG Strijdom’s office within the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Women through­out South Africa had put their names to these petitions indicating their anger and frustration at hav­ing their free­dom of move­ment restric­ted by the hated official passes.

To con­clude the Women’s March, the women sang free­dom songs such as Nkosi sikeleli Afrika, how­ever, the song that became the anthem of the march was “Wathint’ aba­fazi, Strijdom!”

wath­int’ aba­fazi,
wath­int’ imbokodo,
uza kufa!

When you strike the women,
you strike a rock,
you will be crushed [you will die]!

The march was a resound­ing suc­cess and South Africa recog­nises the bravery of these women who risked arrest, deten­tion and ban­ning by declar­ing 9 August National Women’s Day.

To all the beautiful, strong and stylin’ women of South Africa…CSquared Menswear wishes you an amazing day and thank you for your strength! 

Stay Stylin’

CSquared

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