South African Women's Day

Globally, human rights agendas are shifting their focus to women. This past July, the United Nations instated UN Women in accordance with it's priority of gender equality. New statistics are surfacing which reveal the imperative role of women in developing third world socioeconomics.

And here at TNHF we have taken a page from this international book by adding ten girls to our scholarship program as a part of The TNHF 2010 Women's Empowerment Campaign.

As the new female TNHF students start their classes in January 2011, we can't help but remember fifty-four years ago today, when 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against legislation aimed at tightening the apartheid government's control over the movement of black women in urban areas (specifically the mandate that women carry pass books to enter certain areas.)

August 9th, South African Women's Day marks the anniversary of the great Women's March.

‘You have tampered with the women, You have struck a rock.'

--lyrics from a song composed after this event

Since that day, the rights of women have ebbed and flowed from the forefront of South African politics managing to endure every effort made to squelch the voices fighting for gender equality. And despite the oppression that has marked the lives of many women in South Africa, change has slowly seeped in--with no signs of stopping.

As of  2009, female representation in Parliament and provincial legislatures puts South Africa among the leading countries in the world in terms of the number of women in important leadership positions. Currently, women make up 33 percent of the cabinet of the African National Congress.

In addition, the Heads of State of the African Union have declared 2010-2020 the Decade of the African Woman. This declaration will force all African States to take action regarding women's rights, including the elimination of sexual violence, discrimination and other harmful practices against women, such as female genital mutilation (non-consensual female circumcision).

To date, the Maputo Protocol, which addresses these women's rights issues, has been signed by most African countries and ratified by about 50%. It is our hope that this legislation will gain momentum as the African Women's Decade commences.