Lerato Mailoane
Women's Day in South Africa is commemorated annually on 09 August in memory of the 1956 generation of women who took part in the anti-pass laws protest to the Union Buildings.
This year, the Gauteng government commemorated this momentous day  through a virtual program of music and footage of the historic 1956 women's march, due to the nationwide lockdown, to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Mbali Hlophe said: "We need to continue pushing back the frontiers faced by women which have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The pandemic has once more exposed how women often bear the brunt   of most of the social ills  facing our society including GBV, job losses, poverty and inequality," she said.
She urged all women to celebrate  the strides that South African women have made over the years fighting for gender equality.
The day's virtual line-up included messages of support including voices of survivors of gender based violence.
Also, on the line-up were performances by Nadia Nakai, Brenda Mntambo and Shasha.
Gauteng can join the rest of  Gauteng Women's month programme online on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter @GautengSACR
YouTube: Gauteng Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation on the following dates:
14-Aug Poetry Lecture and Reading
21-Aug Music meets Poetry
22-Aug Women In Sport Roundtable
28-Aug Take A Moment Comedy