By Linda Mbongwa
In 1956 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the repressive pass laws.
Fifty years later, ordinary women, businesswomen, politicians, youth organisations and women in religious groups have gathered again, this time joined by their international counterparts, not to protest against the unfair system but to re-enact the historic march and continue where others left off.
After years of discussions, the Progressive Women's Movement of South Africa (PWMSA) was launched this week. It is a movement aimed at paying tribute to women who fought the inequalities of the past and also to promote the transformation of South Africa into a non-sexist, non-racial democratic country.
The launch was attended by, among others, the Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Mantombazana Botha and North West Premier Edna Molewa.
Spokesperson for the PWMSA, Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini, said the launch of the organisation was an opportunity to register their solidarity to Pakistani, Lebanese and Israel women who are facing uncertainty as the war, unlike in the old South Africa, was directed not at military installations but at civilians.
Giving some background of the women's movement, Myakayaka-Manzini said women representing different sectors in South Africa had in March this year come together and committed themselves to the initiative and decided to formally launch the movement by hosting a conference to be held in Bloemfontein next month.
Myakayaka-Manzini said the three-day conference would be attended by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, president of Liberia and the first woman president in Africa, Egyptian novelist Nawal el Saadawi and members of the cabinet such as Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
Myakayaka-Manzini said when about 100 South African women from various sectors participated in a conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1990, a need for the formation of a women's movement arose.
This did not materialise as the apartheid regime unbanned all political parties which led to a new process of negotiations.
However, women operated under the banner of the Women's National Coalition which drew up a charter for women's rights on the new policies of a democratic South Africa and contributed to the writing of the constitution.
This time, Myakayaka-Manzini said, the PWMSA felt it was time that commitments made by the government and the rights of women were truly implemented.
She said, however, that the movement was not a political party but a social movement concerned with changing social conditions.
Botha said South African women had the experience, power and a voice to have such a movement.
Molewa, who spoke on Mapisa-Nqakula's behalf, said all provinces had come on board to complete the work started years ago by the 20 000 women who marched to Pretoria. She encouraged the youth to be part of the PWMSA.
In her message of support for the movement, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the launch of the PWMSA was a step in the creation of a strong women's voice in addressing the challenges facing women and girl children.