| National Women's Day | |
|---|---|
 Women in Lesotho at a National Women's Day protest against violence against women at the National University of Lesotho | |
| Observed by | South Africa |
| Date | 9 August |
| Next time | 9 August 2025 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | 9 August 1995 |
National Women's Day (Zulu: Usuku Lwabesifazane, Afrikaans: Nasionale Vrouedag) is a South African public holiday celebrated annually on 9 August. The day commemorates the 1956 march of approximately 20,000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to petition against the country's pass laws that required South Africans defined as "black" under The Population Registration Act to carry an internal passport, known as a passbook, that served to maintain population segregation, control urbanisation, and manage migrant labour during the apartheid era.[1] The first National Women's Day was celebrated on 9 August 1995.[2] In 2006, a reenactment of the march was staged for its 50th anniversary, with many of the 1956 march veterans.
- ^ "2016 Women's Day South Africa | South African Public Holidays Cape Town". Archived from the original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ kedibone (2 August 2012). "South Africa celebrates the first National Women's Day". Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.