On the 9th of August a friend of mine posted a message saying 'happy women's day, to all the beautiful sisters in South Africa, go spoil yourself today, relax and enjoy'. This status made me ponder at what women's day has come to mean in South Africa. I have always felt discomforted when I would have to responding to these “happy women’s day” wishes being thrown at me. I fear I might start sounding like a pessimist but I ask what should we as women be happy about?

Should we be happy that the stats show that more than 500.000 rapes are committed annually in South Africa? Perhaps what we should be celebrating is the facts that a recent study by Interpol show, every 17 sec a woman is raped. Maybe we ought to rejoice at facts estimating that 1 in 2 women will be raped or moreover the chilling reports that estimates that ‘a woman born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped than learning how to read’, I hope not.

I hope this is not what the generation after's 1956 women thinks women’s day is all about, pampering ourselves. When we commemorate the 9th of August what should always remain in our minds is the work of the women of '56, women that decided to take it upon themselves to fight the injustices of that time, to make sure that women would not be subjected to inhumane treatments by government. I am sorely sadden by what my generation is doing currently with issues facing women. nothing. This generation has become complacent, thinking that if it not my problem then it's not a problem. This country needs women that will work towards fulfilling the MDGoals especial goal3. Women that will not seat and watch when the stats shows that up to 70 per cent of women experience physical or sexual violence from men in their lifetime and the majority by husbands, intimate partners or someone they know. Women who's core being will react when reports report that 113 million children are out of school in Africa. Women that will shudder when they hear that South Africa is one the countries named by the UN as serving as a transit or a destination for Human trafficking.

As women we shouldn't wait for the month of August to have programs running that addresses inequality in the workplace, schools and homes. As women, when the 9 of August comes we should be already busy hands-on involved in organisations that serve to better the lives of women. we need women that will organizing movement that address gender based violence, movements that empower women. This country's rich history of women who fought against inequality amongst other things should inspire us to be women that refused to be silent and be pushed to the margins of South Africa. Birthing of a radical movement that will say ‘ wa thintu mfazi wa thintibokodo’ and truly embody that phrase is needed and to those that are already knee and hands deep doing their part in addressing these problem. Ndinithulela umqwazi.