​On Wednesday, 09 April 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa encouraged women to be courageous and emulate women who marched in 1956 against pass laws.
Speaking at the Union Buildings during the National Women’s Day event, he said, “Today we pay tribute to imbokodo, because women of our country are resilient by making us who we are and indeed you are mothers of this nation. Even though the conditions are still difficult for you, our women hold the knife on the sharp edge”.

President Ramaphosa said that each police station should have a room to cater for women, just as Thuthuzela Centre and Safe Houses to strengthen efforts against Gender based Violence.

He said no man in this country should believe that they own women and when arrested, starting effectively from this month, there should not be bail given to the perpetrators of gender-based violence and those who kill women should be sentenced to life imprisonment because there is no justification for that.

Giving the message of support, the last living leader of the women’s march in 1956 Sophie De Bruyn, through her daughter Sonja Bruyn-Sebotsa, said that today’s women require practical measures to address their challenges such as poverty and unemployment.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said, “Anyone who touches and abuse our women, will find us ready to deal with him. We are a product of powerful and fearless women who stood and marched against the pass laws”.

On the 9 August each year, the country gets to celebrate the National Women’s Day. On this day in 1956, there was a march at the Union Building in Pretoria. Over 20000 women of all races attended the march to protest the Urban Areas Act of 1950 amendments.