South Africa: The icons behind the 1956 women’s march

On the 9th August, in 1956, four women- Lilian Ngoyi, Sophia Williams DeBruyn, Rahima Moosa and Helen Joseph - led a 20,000 strong, multi-racial women’s march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, which was the seat of the ruling apartheid regime at the time.

The women were petitioning the government against the introduction of passes which were used to separate black South Africans from the rest of the population and limit their movement.

Produced by Esther Ogola

Illustrations by George Wafula