09/08/2026
WOMEN’s DAY 2026
Honouring Women of Courage: From Indigenous Women, Huguenot Refugees, Enslaved Women, the Women of 1956, to the Women of 2026 and beyond.
On 9 August 2026, South Africa commemorates the 70th anniversary of the historic 1956 Women’s March under the theme:
“Empowered Women Empower The Nation”
Honouring the past, delivering the Future!
The powerful words:
“Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo” - “You strike a woman, you strike a rock” remind us of the strength, courage and determination of women who stood against injustice and helped shape our shared history.
At the Huguenot Memorial Museum, we reflect on the many women whose lives became part of the Cape story — women who crossed oceans, endured hardship, preserved traditions, cared for families and communities, and contributed to the cultural landscape we inherit today.
Behind every woman lies a human story — a story of courage, resilience, creativity and survival.
Among these stories is Marie Durand (1711–1776), the French Protestant woman who became an enduring symbol of faith and resistance. Imprisoned for almost 38 years in the Tour de Constance at Aigues-Mortes, France, because of her Huguenot faith, she endured harsh and cramped conditions. Her message of “résister” — to resist — became a powerful symbol of courage against religious persecution.
The women who came to the Cape carried this same spirit of determination:
Jeanne (Jannetjie) de Clercq, who arrived aboard the Oosterland in 1688, faced personal loss and hardship but raised a family and became a successful frontier farmer in the Land van Waveren (Tulbagh) district. Her story reflects the resilience of women who helped establish new communities on the Cape frontier.
Suzanne Briet Taillefert, who arrived in 1688 with her family, continued farming after her husband’s death and became a successful agriculturalist, showing the important contribution of women to the development of the Cape’s farming heritage.
Anne Prévost, who arrived as a young child in 1688, became part of a family legacy that shaped generations of South African history.
Marguerite-Thérèse de Savoye reminds us of the diverse and interconnected heritage of the Cape, where people from different backgrounds contributed to the formation of new communities and family lines.
During VOC governance at the Cape, European immigrants married freed, baptised former women slaves. Their mixed descendants were assimilated into the free burgher community. Marguerite-Thérèse and Christoffel (Snijman) Snyman’s marriage was the first example of a marriage between a man of mixed descent and a white woman.
Marie Buisset, a skilled midwife and medical pioneer at the Cape, cared for people regardless of status and became the first woman known to perform an autopsy at the Cape. Her courage and knowledge challenged the boundaries of her time.
However, the story of women at the Cape is not complete without recognising the strength and contributions of enslaved and freed women, whose skills, knowledge and labour were essential parts of society.
The enslaved women from Bengal and Surat brought with them remarkable skills in needlework, embroidery and sewing. Many worked as seamstresses and “knitting girls”, while others cared for households and children as nurses and caregivers. Their craftsmanship and intimate role within households contributed to the cultural traditions of the Cape.
Clara (Ou Aja), a freed woman formerly enslaved, became a highly respected midwife in the Daljosafat region. Together with her husband Ou Ta (Klaas) and their daughter Flora, she moved from Piketberg to Kleinbosch near Paarl, where they worked with the Du Toit family. Their lives and burial in the Du Toit family cemetery reflect the important relationships and shared histories that shaped Cape communities.
Marie Mouton, who lived in the "Land van Waveren" (Tulbagh) between 1690 and 1714, represents another chapter of women’s endurance and adaptation in the early Cape frontier.
From Marie Durand’s resistance in France, to the Huguenot women who carried faith and traditions across oceans, to Indigenous women who lived and embraced the Cape in harmony with nature, enhancing their culture, skills and knowledge for thousands of years and became part of the colonialism process, to enslaved and freed women whose knowledge, skills and resilience shaped Cape society, and to the women of the 1956 Women’s March who fought for justice and equality - we honour a shared legacy of courage, resilience and hope.
Today we remember: when women are empowered, families flourish, communities are strengthened and nations are transformed.
Visit the Huguenot Memorial Museum and discover the many voices and stories of the women who shaped our shared heritage.
To all the woman in the beautiful Franschhoek Wine Valley and beyond, Have a Blessed Women’s Day 2026.
