page_title: History of women's rights in South Africa
section_title: Black women
hierarchical_section_title: History of women's rights in South Africa / History / Discrimination and race / Black women
caption_attribution_description: English: A young Charlotte Maxeke
context_page_description: For much of South Africa's history, women have been treated as second class citizens. While all women have been disadvantaged, black women have dealt with additional struggles due to apartheid. Legal systems have played a large part in the systematic oppression of South African women. In addition, South Africa struggles with extremely high rates of rape and sexual violence.
context_section_description: Before the most recent Bill of Rights was adopted, the struggle of the women of South Africa started as early as 1913, when black women began to protest against having to carry identification passes (white women did not have to carry the passes). In 1918, Charlotte Maxeke started the first formal women's organization, called the Bantu Women's League. Charlotte Maxeke was the first black woman to receive a degree from Wilberforce University. Nontsizi Mgqwetho also contributed to the advancement of women's rights in the 1920s with her writings and poetry mirroring the critiques presented by Maxeke. Both women contributed to the black press. They argued the need to rupture the idea of black women's publicness. The domestic setting was seen as the women's realm and outside of the house was seen as the man's realm. However, the contributions of black women were not seen as intellectual insights. With Maxeke's political and educational experience and class position, and Mgqwetho's closeness to the press, they were able to make their opinions public, which would have been very difficult at this time. They were speaking in a society where all blacks were not considered worthy to be citizens. On top of that, they also fought the SANNC- the party for black men which excluded black women members.
  In the 1930s and 1940s there were many mass protests, demonstrations and resistance campaigns in which women participated. Before 1943 the African National Congress (ANC) was an organization founded by men and only admitted men. The struggles of women from 1913-1943 showed that women were affected by colonialism as well. In 1943, the ANC opened its doors for women to join. In 1948, the ANC Women's League (ANCWL) was formed and Ida Mntwana became the first female president of the League. In 1952, many South African black women took part in the Defiance Campaign, which involved purposefully breaking apartheid laws. The Congress Alliance asked the ANCWL to assist in the making of the 1955 Congress of the People. There, the Freedom Charter was created and allowed women to express their needs and incorporate their requests. However, in 1955 the pass laws were presented again. Demonstrations were held in protest of these laws. On August 9, 1956, thousands of women marched to the Union Buildings in protest. The march was planned by the Federation of South African Women. On this day, South African women celebrated the first South African Women's Freedom day. The holiday was organized by the ANC to commemorate the protests that began on August 9, 1913, against the identification passes that black people had to carry. The ANC was banned in 1960 and halted the progress and demonstrations women were having. Other regional organizations were formed, since many women went into exile and those who remained were unable to organize anything. Once the ANC was unbanned in 1990, the ANCWL brought all the organizations together to form the National Women's Coalition in 1991. The Women's charter was completed in 1994 and the concerns were incorporated into the new Bill of Rights.
caption: Charlotte Maxeke, leader of the Bantu's Women League
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