Today, the 8th March 2021, marks International Women’s Day, globally. The United Nations celebrated International Women's Day for the first time in 1975. Then in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. South Africa recognises its National Women’s Day on the 9th August of every year, a commemoration of the historic march, led by women against the oppressive pass laws of the then Apartheid regime. 

With a history stretching back to 1908, International Women’s Day marks the perpetual and ongoing struggle for women’s equality, globally and within South Africa. 

The theme for this year's International Women's Day is #ChooseToChallenge. It indicates that a "challenged world is an alert world, and from challenge comes change". 

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or the SAHRC) recognises the need for the world, and South Africa in particular, to be challenged as women, who are supposed to be living in a constitutional democracy, based on equality, dignity and freedom, face rampant gender based violence, the burden of socio-economic inequality, poverty and unemployment and are ultimately at the forefront of all human rights concerns.

The Commission wishes all women and girls a prosperous International Women’s Day, however, reminds the State, independent Chapter Nine Institutions such as the SAHRC, business, faith based communities and civil society that we all need to work together in an effort to ensure that women are truly equal. 

Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission