1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings

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The 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings was a landmark anti-apartheid protest in Pretoria where thousands of South African women of all races demonstrated against pass laws and racial segregation.

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Predicate Object
instanceOf anti-apartheid demonstration
historical event
protest march
action delivered petitions to the South African prime minister’s office
marched in silence to the Union Buildings
sang protest songs against pass laws
alsoKnownAs 1956 Women’s March
Women’s March on the Union Buildings
Women’s March to Pretoria
city Pretoria
commemoratedBy National Women’s Day in South Africa
commemorationDate August 9
country South Africa
date 1956-08-09
estimatedParticipants approximately 20,000 women
hasTheme gender equality
human rights
racial justice
historicalSignificance one of the largest demonstrations staged by women in South African history
legacy inspired later women’s and civil rights movements in South Africa
symbol of women’s resistance to apartheid
location Union Buildings, Pretoria, South Africa
mainCause opposition to apartheid pass laws for women
opposition to racial segregation
resistance to extension of pass laws to Black women
movementType mass mobilization
non-violent protest
notableLeader Helen Joseph
Lilian Ngoyi
Rahima Moosa
Sophia Williams-De Bruyn
opposedGovernment apartheid government of South Africa
opposedLeader Prime Minister J. G. Strijdom
linked to: J. G. Strijdom
organizedBy African National Congress Women’s League
Federation of South African Women
anti-apartheid women’s organizations
participantsDemographics Black African women
Coloured women
Indian women
white women
partOf anti-apartheid movement
petitionRecipient Office of the Prime Minister of South Africa
recognizedAs turning point in the role of women in the anti-apartheid struggle
slogan Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo
sloganTranslation You strike a woman, you strike a rock
targetedPolicy Population Registration Act-related controls
pass laws
year 1956

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Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

National Women’s Day (South Africa) commemorates 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings
subject linked to: Public holidays in South Africa
Albertina Sisulu notableEvent 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria
linked to: 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings
National Women’s Day commemorates 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria
linked to: 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings
1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings alsoKnownAs 1956 Women’s March
linked to: 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings
1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings alsoKnownAs Women’s March on the Union Buildings
linked to: 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings
1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings alsoKnownAs Women’s March to Pretoria
linked to: 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings
Federation of South African Women notableEvent 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria
linked to: 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings
Federation of South African Women organized 1956 Women’s March
linked to: 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings
Hilda Bernstein participatedIn 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings
linked to: 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings