Helen Joseph played a key role in fighting for human rights in South Africa from the 1950s to 1960s. She helped organize major protests like the 20,000-woman march to the Union Buildings in 1956 to oppose pass laws. Joseph also fought against unjust laws through organizations like the Federation of South African Women. Overall, the document discusses the important role women played in the anti-apartheid movement through protests, organizing, and advocating for both human rights and women's rights during the fight against oppression in South Africa.

1. Bronwynne Lekay
The Role Woman Played
in the Violation of
Human Rights

2. In this essay I will be discussing the role Helen Joseph played against the violation of human rights from the 1950s to the
1960s . From the role of women in the defiance campaign , freedom charter , anti-pass campaign , Sharpeville massacre and
liberation struggle. Women in South Africa, since the turn of the century, have emerged as primary catalysts for protests, and
as challengers of, the apartheid regime. With all the disabilities and devastating effects of apartheid on the status of women
that have already been described, women have never lost sight of the fact that meaningful change for them cannot come
through reform but only through the destruction of the apartheid system. Thus, the common exploitation and oppression of
men and women based on colour has led to a combined fight against the system instead of a battle of women against men for
"women’s rights."
While women desire their personal liberation, they see that as part of the total liberation movement.
Human rights are the basic minimum protections which every human being should be able to enjoy. But historically not all
people have been able to enjoy and exercise their rights in the same way. The result is unequal treatment.
One such group is women and girls. Throughout history, women have been afforded fewer rights than their male counterparts
or have had to work harder to realise their rights in practice. Viewing women’s rights as human rights has been fundamental
in the struggle to ensure that women are treated fairly.

3. The 1952 Defiance Campaign concentrated against six unjust laws. Opposition to the extension of Pass Laws to Black
women provided the focus for the growth of progressive women’s organisations amongst all race groups, and for
women to mount one of the most successful campaigns of the decade.
In October 1955 2000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. 20 000 women led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen
Joseph, Sophie Williams and Rahima Moosa marched on the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The women’s march became
one of the most important events in the countries history and inspired generations of women to play leading role in the
liberation movement and to ensure that women’s issues were foregrounded in all their programmes.
As part of the Anti-Pass Campaign, on August 9, 1956, 20.000 women of all races, some with babies on their backs, from
the cities and towns, from reserves and villages, took a petition addressed to South Africa's Prime Minister to the Union
Buildings in Pretoria. Prime Minister Strijdom was not in. The petition demanded of him that the pass laws be abolished.
Sharpeville massacre, (March 21, 1960), incident in the Black township of Sharpeville, near Vereeniging, South Africa, in
which police fired on a crowd of Black people, killing or wounding some 250 of them. It was one of the first and most
violent demonstrations against apartheid in South Africa.

4. Helen Joseph is one of South Africa's greatest anti-apartheid freedom fighters and women's rights advocates. She devoted
her life to fearlessly campaign for democracy, equal rights, and uniting the people of South Africa. Aghast at the plight of
black women, she played a pivotal role, along with Lillian Ngoyi, in the formation of the Federation of South African
Women. With its leadership, she spearheaded a March of 20,000 women on August 9, 1956, to the Union Buildings in
Pretoria to protest the pass laws.
In 1959, the Black Sash joined the campaign against the farm labour scheme. As means of punishment, 'petty offenders'
could be ordered to work in rural areas without a court trial. The organisation also protested the Promotion of Bantu Self-
Government Bill. the Black Sash provided widespread and visible proof of white resistance towards the apartheid system.
In fact, during the 1960s and most of the 1970s the Black Sash and National Union of South African Students represented
the only consistent white opposition to the government outside Parliament.
In 1959, the Black Sash joined the campaign against the farm labour scheme. As means of punishment, 'petty offenders'
could be ordered to work in rural areas without a court trial. The organisation also protested the Promotion of Bantu Self-
Government Bill. the Black Sash provided widespread and visible proof of white resistance towards the apartheid system.
In fact, during the 1960s and most of the 1970s the Black Sash and National Union of South African Students represented
the only consistent white opposition to the government outside Parliament.

5. A very important women's organization formed to fight apartheid was the ANC Women's League (ANCWL). This was
formed in 1948 and resulted in women becoming much more actively involved in the ANC and its campaigns. The first
official president of the ANCWL was Ida Mntwana.
Since the founding of the United Nations, equality between men and women has been among the most fundamental
guarantees of human rights. Adopted in 1945, the Charter of the United Nations sets out as one of its goals “to reaffirm
faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, [and] in the equal rights of men and
women”. Furthermore, Article 1 of the Charter stipulates that one of the purposes of the United Nations is to promote
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms “without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion”. This
prohibition of discrimination based on sex is repeated in its Articles 13 (mandate of the General Assembly) and 55
(promotion of universal human rights). In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. It, too,
proclaimed the equal entitlements of women and men to the rights contained in it, “without distinction of any kind, such
as ... sex, ….” In drafting the Declaration, there was considerable discussion about the use 4 WOMEN’S RIGHTS ARE
HUMAN RIGHTS of the term “all men” rather than a gender-neutral term.1 The Declaration was eventually adopted using
the terms “all human beings” and “everyone” in order to leave no doubt that the Universal Declaration was intended for
everyone, men and women alike.
In this essay I have shown the role women played against the violation of human rights from 1950 to 1960 . From protests
to women organizations . Women played a key role, encouraging the larger democratic movement to include women’s
issues and fostering the leadership of women.

6. https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2020-08-09-wathint-abafazi-wathint-imbokodo-august-
9-1956/