The numbers behind South African women’s 70-year fight for equality
Seventy years after the Women's March, South African women are better educated, wealthier and more independent – but broader labour stats tell a different story.
On 9 August 1956, an estimated 20,000 women united in a historic march to the Union Buildings in South Africa. They protested against the extension of pass laws to women, a demand that had been championed by the Federation of South African Women led by prominent figures like Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn.
The march was a significant demonstration of women's unity and their fight for equality beyond the immediate issue of pass laws. They demanded a range of rights including childcare, housing, education, equal pay, and rights to property, marriage, and child guardianship.
Since 1994, South Africa has witnessed substantial progress in women's status across various spheres. Today, women constitute 65.4% of university graduates, outnumbering men across almost all qualification types, except in doctorates. Women now hold leadership roles in Parliament, Cabinet, and key constitutional institutions. Their participation in the labour market has increased, with female labour-force participation rising from 50.9% in 2014 to 55.8% in 2024.
Financially, women are becoming central architects of family prosperity, increasingly creating wealth through careers, entrepreneurship, investments, and property ownership. The property market reflects this shift, with over 43,000 women applying for home loans in 2024-2025, with many being first-time buyers.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
