Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo You strike a woman, you strike a rock… in 2000, on the 44th anniversary of the Women’s Defiance Campaign, tribute was paid to the many women who have shaped the history of South Africa. National Women’s Day celebrated the march by some 20 000 women on 9 August 1956. These women converged on the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the pass laws, signifying one of the first and the largest mass demonstration organised by women against white minority rule. This commemorative publication celebrates the achievements, the selflessness and the commitment of ordinary women, who contributed in extraordinary ways to South African society today.