Twenty thousand women march on the Union Buildings

On 9 August 1956 about 20,000 women, led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophie Williams-De Bruyn, walked up to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against passes for black women. They left 14,000 signed petitions at the prime minister's door; J. G. Strijdom was not there to receive them. They stood in silence for thirty minutes and then sang. Their song, you strike a woman, you strike a rock, became the struggle's slogan, and 9 August is now National Women's Day.