9th august womans day

usually, i get rather irritated with public holidays in the middle of the working week. take today as an example, johannesburg has emptied out, anyone who could, is off to the coast or to a game farm/reserve, gone fishing etc,..and tomorrow will be a frustrating non productive work day. none the less, i have enjoyed a late morning, the sun is finally out, i am sitting here,..the sun streaming through the window, feeling like the proverbial cat that ate the cream.

the significance of today is not lost on me,it commemorates the women of this country who sacrificed their lives,loves,families,so that i could be sitting here in the sun, a free and equal citizen of south Africa, where women make up a third of government, have the power to influence the decision makers, make the decisions that influence our lives.the injustices of the past are not all gone, that is still a work in progress, but we can and are making a resounding difference.

i am reminded of my grandmother today.she was one of the women who marched to parliament buildings in protest against the pass laws. a remarkable woman, this day is in commemoration of her, and those strong forward thinking women, who like her, stood up against a brutal regime,protested there abhorrence of apartheid, burnt their passbooks, courted imprisonment, left husbands and children behind, but had the courage of their convictions and stood up for what they believed was right. strong wonderful women all of them.

my grandmother,was a simple humble woman, who's door was open to anyone who needed shelter,or a hot meal. speaking only gujarati, she never had a problem, communicating with the hundreds of people who crossed her threshold, these women never sought fame or fortune, yet they will always be remembered for their determination,and quiet courage under very trying circumstances.

nelson Mandela said of her in his autobiography, "long walk to freedom", 'i often visited the home of amina pahad for lunch, and then, suddenly, this charming woman put aside her apron and went to jail for her beliefs. if i had once questioned the willingness of the Indian community to protest against oppression, i no longer could"
she had the kind of courage and fortitude that have made great men, stop and evaluate the course of a struggle,...a struggle fought over 40 years and ending, without bloodshed,and sectarian divisions that could have created,a civil war and torn a nation apart.

oliver tambo, remembers how they stopped in at 11 orient house, to eat spicy curries, when they were hungry, or needed to have meetings regarding the resistance, i feel a sense of pride today, in the efforts of my grandmother, and the other women who were the backbone of this country, they went about their lives uncomplaining and selfless, she died in exile in India,...after having to leave south Africa,expelled, for her beliefs in justice and equality,leaving behind her sons and grandchildren, she never lost her belief in the correctness of the struggle.

my grandmother, amina pahad,..was a simple woman, who never closed her door to anyone in need, her open door and kitchen were famous throughout johannesburg, if you needed a meal, a bed for the night, a place to meet to discuss revolutionary strategy 11 orient house was where you found yourself, she didn't speak English,but that never mattered to the men and boys who called her mother, and found security under the protection of her apron. she leaves a legacy that is hard to follow,
it is our obligation to maintain that legacy not just for ourselves but for future generations of south Africans.

poet and author elean thomas, in her anthology,"word rhythms from the life of a woman" wrote;
ODE TO WOMAN
FOR BEING
MOTHER
WIFE
DAUGHTER
SISTER
GRANDMOTHER
WORKER
FOR BEING WOMAN
FOR ALL THE TIMES YOU HAVE
STOOD UP
WHILE SOME ARE FALLING
FOR ALL THE LOVE YOU GIVE
YOU ARE THE FOUNDATION
OF OUR FUTURE.

on woman's day we remember the fallen heroines of our struggle, may god bless them and imbue us with the same spirit, and courage to be the revolutionaries of today.to embrace all that makes us women,to make a mark on this world that is undeniably our own. viva!!!!