The 1956 Women's March to Pretoria
The Story of South Africa: Empire, Apartheid, and Transformation — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
In 1956, 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest the pass laws that would have forced them to carry reference books. This episode tells the story of that day — the leaders behind it, the songs they sang, and the silence that followed. We explore how the march grew out of earlier resistance by the ANC Women's League, the role of figures like Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, and how the government responded. We also reflect on the deeper meaning of the women's action, the limits of protest under apartheid, and the legacy of that moment for later movements. It's a story about courage, strategy, and the long arc of a struggle that was far from over. #WomensMarch1956 #LilianNgoyi #HelenJoseph #RahimaMoosa #SophiaWilliamsDeBruyn #PassLaws #Apartheid #SouthAfrica #ANCWomensLeague #FederationOfSouthAfricanWomen #Pretoria #UnionBuildings #1950s #Resistance #WomensHistory #Protest #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
