South Africa has officially launched its 2026 Women’s Month programme with a renewed focus on expanding economic opportunities for women, as Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sidisiwe Chikunga urged the country to move beyond symbolic celebrations and deliver measurable economic empowerment.
Speaking at the Empower Her Market Trade Fair in Durban on Saturday, Chikunga said the success of women’s empowerment should no longer be measured by speeches or commemorative events, but by the number of businesses supported, investment secured and jobs created.
The annual campaign coincides with the 70th anniversary of the historic 1956 Women’s March, one of South Africa’s defining moments in the struggle against apartheid.
Women’s Month is observed every August to honour the approximately 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against pass laws imposed on Black women.
Women’s economic participation takes centre stage
Addressing entrepreneurs, government officials and business leaders, Chikunga said women continue to face structural barriers that limit their participation in high-value sectors of the economy.
She identified restricted access to finance, procurement opportunities, technology and formal markets as some of the main challenges preventing women-owned businesses from reaching their full potential.
According to the minister, the Empower Her initiative is designed to provide practical market access by connecting women-owned enterprises directly with buyers, financial institutions and policymakers.
She encouraged private companies to move beyond public commitments by clearly identifying procurement opportunities, supplier requirements and long-term partnerships available to women entrepreneurs.
Chikunga stressed that women-owned businesses are already contributing to economic growth, employment and innovation and should no longer be treated as peripheral participants in the economy.
She argued that meaningful empowerment should be reflected through commercial agreements, improved access to finance and sustainable business expansion rather than annual awareness campaigns alone.
Women’s March legacy remains central
The minister linked this year’s Women’s Month launch to the Platinum Jubilee of the 1956 Women’s March, describing the marchers as pioneers who helped shape South Africa’s democratic future.
She said their legacy should inspire renewed efforts to ensure women play a greater role in both the national and regional economy.
Chikunga also outlined four priorities identified during last year’s inaugural Empower Her Trade Fair. These include establishing a stronger national strategy for women’s economic empowerment, securing practical commitments from the private sector, expanding women’s participation in value chains and placing women-owned enterprises at the centre of economic development.
Meanwhile, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has renewed its “Who Were the 20 000 Women?” campaign, which seeks to identify and document the names of women who participated in the historic march but whose contributions remain largely unrecorded.
The Foundation said it is working with families, researchers and communities to recover the identities of more participants, ensuring that their stories are preserved for future generations.
Commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the Women’s March were also held at Avalon Cemetery and in Newclare as part of this year’s programme.
Source: Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities; Ahmed Kathrada Foundation.