Every year, in August, our country marks Women’s Month, when we pay tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against Pass Laws.

This year marks 67 years since the watershed 1956 women’s march which was one of the largest demonstrations staged in the country’s history. It was underpinned by the adoption of the Women’s Charter of 1954.

Women’s Month 2023 will be commemorated under the overarching theme: “Accelerating socio-economic opportunities for empowerment of women.” While our country has made numerous strides helping advance women, their full potential in our society is still to be realised.

The reality is that gender inequality still persists with more women than men mired in poverty and unemployment. The month will focus on interventions across government, civil society and the private sector to develop women in our nation.

Particular focus over the month is opportunities that women can access in the different sectors of the economy, including opportunities in the oceans economy. Specific focus is on representation in leadership and management, participation, job creation and entrepreneurship development within the oceans economy covering maritime shipping and transport, biodiversity, offshore gas and oil exploration, tourism, entertainment and leisure related activities, fisheries and fishing, aquaculture, oceanographic research, among others.

According to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), women account for only 2 per cent of the world’s 1,2 million seafarers.

Another area highlighted over the month is opportunities for women in the South African Navy. In this regard, National Women’s Month 2023 will showcase the different roles for women in the navy on 7 August 2023 at the SANDF Naval Base in Simons Town in the Western Cape. On 8th August, there will be a showcasing of the different opportunities for women in ports and harbour activities in partnership with TRANSNET, at the Cape Town Harbour, Western Cape.

National Women’s Month 2023 will be launched on 1st August 2023 in the City of eThekwini, KZN.

The socio-economic empowerment of women in South Africa is about redressing the legacy of apartheid and the transformation of society, particularly the transformation of power relations between women, men, institutions and laws.

Women’s Month allows us to gauge how far we have come in transforming society, particularly the transformation of unequal power relations between women and men. It will also focus on addressing gender oppression, patriarchy, sexism, racism, ageism, structural oppression, and creating a conducive environment which enables women to participate equally in the mainstream economy and take control of their lives.