Women’s March in Pretoria

On August 9, 1956, thousands of South African women from a variety of backgrounds marched to protest pass laws. According to South African History Online, “pass laws were a form of an internal passport system designed to segregate the population between Blacks from whites in South Africa, and thereby, severely limit the movements of the Black African populace, manage urbanization, and allot migrant labor.” The march, which involved approximately 20,000 people, played a critical role in allowing women to become visible participants of the anti-apartheid movement.