Thirty years ago, South African wom­ cans, even though they are 72% of the en, 20,000 strong, rocked the streets of population. to protest extension of the hated ALLIANCE AGAINST WOMEN'S OPPRESSION Under women's oppression pass laws to women. Thousands wore has reached the depths of brutality, ev­ the black and green blouses of the Afri­ ery minute of the day, with the "home­ can National Congress (ANC). Indian HONOR OUR SISTERS lands" policy. These so called "home­ women were dressed in brilliant saris, lands" or are, in reality, Xhosa women in clay yellow robes with wastelands which condemn the inhabi­ beautiful head scarves. After delivering ON SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN'S DAY tants to eke out an existence that is but a hundreds of thousands of signatures to few steps away from death. Not only are the prime minister's office, Lilian Ngoyi" women and men in not paid President of the Federation of South enough to support a family unit, the African Women and of the ANC Wom­ "homeland" policy is designed to force en's League, called out "Afrika, Afrika, families to live separately. While men Afrika." Thousands of women shouted are in the mines or the cities, women, their response in kind, then stood in children and the elderly are routinely electric silence for half an hour with the banished to the bantustans declared thumbs up salute of the ANC. Thejoyful "superfulous appendages" and "unpro­ demonstration culminated in a new free­ ductive labor units." These bantustans/ dom song with the now famous refrain, wastelands read like a chronicle of in­ "Wathint' abafazi, wayithint' imbolondo humane living conditions-inadequate uzokufa-Now you have touched the housing, lack of running water and basic women, you have struck a rock, you sanitation, intense overcrowding, virtu­ have dislodged a boulder, you will be ally absent school and health facilities, crushed." rampant malnutrition and starvation. To Women everywhere can learn much add insult to injury, the barren land does from our South African sisters long not even allow subsistence farming. history of organizing. The first pass law Taken together, the situation adds up to resistance in the Orange Free State in a methodical program of genocide with a 1913 was started by South African wom­ particular focus on women and children. The Women's Federation oj South Africa (WFSA) leading a march in against high rents Jor inadequate housing. en. In 1919, on the heels of the declara­ F or women and children who escape tion of white minority rule by the Union rights of domestic workers. Women's cold blood last year right before the plained, "As Black women we suffer all the genocide of "homeland" banish­ of South Africa, the African National groups make up 60% of the 600 organi­ treason trial of and the dehumanization of white racism. We ment and work in the cities and on the Congress, representing the majority of zations of the United Democratic Front other UDF leaders. While are exploited as workers and our male­ farms, the content of oppression is a South Africans, was founded. Shortly (UDF), the broad coalition formed in was working for the ANC in exile, she dominated society treats us as inferior view through a different prism. Baseline thereafter, the ANC Women's League 1984 to coordinate resistance to the was tracked down and killed by a letter beings, dependent minors who belong in health, education, food, and shelter re­ was established by, among other sisters, apartheid regime's latest maneuvers. bomb sent courtesy of the racist regime. the worst paid, most menial job catego­ main inadequate or non-existent Wom­ Charlotte Maxebe, a leading activist, Membership in the "weaker sex" has These are but a few of the many South ries, in the bantustans and in the kitch­ en working as domestics or farm laborers who had participated as a founding never served to shield South African African women who have paid the ulti­ ens." do so for extremely low wages and in member of the ANC. Her presence at women from repression as women. Po­ mate price for their commitment to the The racist system of apartheid guar­ conditions unprotected from the whims both was no accidental occurrence. For lice brutality against women and chil­ people's struggle. As victims of apar­ antees the most intense class exploita­ of their white employers. As with Black it was as crystal clear to South African dren in the townships and squatter theid, women have fought for and earned tion for the Black majority. South Africa men, women's mobility is severely lim­ women then, as it is now, that their camps and prisons, banning or assassi­ a central role in the struggle against it. was built into the richest, most industri­ ited and separation of the family is still liberation as women is inextricably nation of leaders and organizers is com­ WOMEN'S OPPRESSION alized country on the African continent the reality for most Reminiscent of monplace. Albertina Sisula, Co-Presi­ by dragging the slave system into the bound up with the South African libera­ APARTHEID STYLE slavery in the U.S. South, many Black tion movement. dent of the UDF, under house arrest for 20th Century. 87% of the best land was women domestics live the cruel irony of Today women play the leading role in 20 years, has once again been arrested Apartheid embodies the most vicious usurped for the "white nation," with the raising white children while worrying grassroots struggles over rent, housing, for "treason." Victoria Mxenge, a long­ combination of race, class and sex op­ remaining 13% of the most barren land about their own children left to fend for education, forced relocations and the time civil rights lawyer, was murdered in pression. Activist Olive Shisana ex- declared the "homelands" of the Afri- themselves. Through it all, threat of banishment to the bantustans is ever­ pose it during the tenth anniversary of pass laws on August 9, 1956. This year, South Africa. It is past time for the U.S. because I also understand what the present if a job is lost or a woman is the . Once again thou­ on the 30th anniversary-of South Afri­ movement to join in this part of sol­ white man is fighting for. When he loses widowed. sands have been arrested and a severe can Women's Day, women activists in idarity with the struggle in South Africa. it, he will lose it forever. And what I'm Under these conditions, children are news "whiteout" was imposed to silence the U.S. must recommit ourselves to In this way, our solidarity lives, not fighting for, when I get it, I will keep it special victims of apartheid. In 1980, information within the country and to the building the anti-apartheid movement. only as a moral response to abhorrent forever." infant mortality rates for Black South international community. The apartheid regime believes thai it can conditions and policies but as our soli­ Mricans was 90 in 1000 live births, But time is running out for apartheid. brazenly shoot down Black people and darity with the common struggle against The ·information in this leaflet was compared to 13 for white South Afri­ The Black majority has responded to the stonewall international public opinion racism, sexism and class oppression. drawn from an AAWO Discussion Pa­ cans. Yet South African youth have not ANC's call to "make South Africa un­ because it knows it can still count on For apartheid reminds us of our own per entitled, Forward to Freedom: accepted their conditions passively. It governable." 33 of the government's 38 Washington's support. Reagan's policy reality-of native people kicked off their Women and Apartheid in South Africa. was the youth of Soweto that sparked the puppet councils have been put out of com­ of " constructive engagement" is nothing land, of slavery and migrant labor, of If you would like a copy of the Dis­ 1976 uprising, who joined the ANC in mission. For 2 years now, despite dra­ but a figleafto cover up U.S. support to forced relocation and reservations, of cussion Paper, please send $1.00 to massive numbers in the years after, and conian repression, the South African apartheid as the most reliable agent for single mothers struggling to feed and AAWO (at the address below). We can who today, are at the core of the upris­ people have successfully sustained their Western interests on the African conti­ clothe their children, of infant mortality also send you more information about ings in the camptowns such as Cross­ resistance, uniting the powerful Black nent. and police murders of Black and Brown how you can give direct assistance to roads. The apartheid regime's response trade union movement, youth and stu- Here in the U.S. we have a special youth. South African women by supporting the has been to kill and arrest children as Over the 30 long years since the first Dora Tamana Day Care Centre ma­ young as 7 years of age. Youth under 16 "In our beleagered .country, the women's South African Women's Day, South terial aid campaign. made up one-third of those murdered or Mrican women have journeyed closer to arrested in last year's state of emergen­ place is in the battlefront of the struggle. " their freedom. Their outstanding mass AMANDLA! AWETU! cy. Along with their parents, the youth . ANe President activism and leadership, defiance and POWER! LET IT BE YOURS! continue to stand firm in the face of apar­ commitment will soon be rewarded. We theid's schemes to split their forces. must do everything in our power to LONG LIVE hasten the end of apartheid. In the words SOUTH AFRICAN MAKING SOUTH AFRICA of Winnie Mandela, "My ultimate goal WOMEN'S DAY! UNGOVERNABLE is the liberation of my people. It is be­ The increased terrorism against black cause I know we are going to win. It is youth is only one tactic in the apartheid regime's bid to retain power, as it scur­ ALLIANCE AGAINST WOMEN'S OPPRESSION ries to head off what Prime Minister The Alliance Against Women's Oppression (AAWO) is a national, multi-racial organiza­ Botha calls "Total Onslaught." The tion of lesbian and straight women with chapters in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, regime is working overtime to set up a Boston and Washington D. C. Weare committed to reforging the U. S. women's movement on system of Black collaborators, from p0- a revolutionary, anti-capitalist and anti-racist basis. AAWO is active in the Rainbow lice to local puppet administrators. Re­ August 9, 1956. A delegation led by Lilian Ngoyi attempts to present anti-pass petitions to the Prime Minister. j Coalition, is involved in reproductive rights organizing focusing on the defense of abortion rights and fighting against infant mortality, and is active in support of lesbian/gay rights. cently such collaborators were used to dents, women's, community and church responsibility to pressure the Reagan ad­ help burn and destroy Crossroads, a In 1984, the AAWO initiated and organized a national multi-racial women's delegation­ organizations. In open defiance, ANC ministration and U.S. institutions to cut Somos Hermanas (We Are Sisters)-to Nicaragua at the invitation of the Nicaraguan squatter camp outside of Capetown banners and flags fly high at funerals of the lifelines to apartheid. We must con­ Women's Association (AMNLAE). Somos Hermanas is now an ongoing network of women which had been set up by women and those slain by police. International pres­ tinue to push for divestment and solid in solidarity with Central America. On International Women's Day 1986 we launched the their children in open defiance of apar­ sure is growing for the release of Nelson economic sanctions such as Represen­ Dora Tamana Day Care center campaign to benefit the ANC Women's Section. AAWO also theid laws. Mandela, recognized as the real leader tative Dellum's comprehensive sanction publishes discussion papers on issues facing the women's movement and organizes annual The South African military has in­ of South Africa. bill (H.R. 997). Living here, where even celebrations ofInternational Women's Day. AAWO's work is dedicated to the full liberation vaded Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozam­ the inadequate services for the poor of women in all spheres of social life. bique and Lethsoto. It is supporting FREE SOUTH AFRICA outstrip the conditions of many South ALLIANCE AGAINST WOMEN'S OPPRESSION UNITA contras in Angola in order to The United Nations General Assem­ Mrican Blacks, we also have a res­ 3543-18th Street # I destabilize the frontline states and pres­ bly declared August 9th a day of Inter­ ponsibility to share the financial burden San Francisco, CA 94110 sure them to abandon support of the national Solidarity with the women of of opposing apartheid. For decades the Boston AAWO - P.O. Box 1091 - Jamaica Plain MA. 02130 ANC and the SWAPO, which is fighting South Africa and their sisters in N ami­ European anti-apartheid movement has N.Y. AA WO· P.O. Box 667 - Brooklyn N.Y. 11230 apartheid's occupation of Namibia. The bia. This date pays tribute to the strength played a vital role in providing millions D.C. AA WO - P.O. Box 29374 - Washington D.C. 20017 regime lifted martial law, only to reim- of the women who demonstrated against ofdollars in material aid for the people of