African National Congress Women's League
Encyclopedia
The African National Congress Women's League is the women's wing
of the African National Congress
(ANC). It was founded in 1931 as the Bantu Women's League, with Charlotte Maxeke
as its first president. It was integrated into the ANC during the period from 1943, when women were first admitted as members of the ANC, to 1948, when the ANCWL was officially founded. It participated with the Federation of South African Women in protests against the apartheid-era government, such as the 1952 Defiance Campaign
and the passbook protests
of 9 August 1956. In 1956, Lilian Ngoyi
became the first elected female member of the ANC National Executive Committee
.
Among the activists and politicians who were allied with the ANC during the apartheid years are:
In 1994, a revived African National Congress Women's League negotiated a number of constitutional provisions and policy stands favorable to women; however, some of these have not yet been implemented.
Women's wing
A women's wing is an organisation affiliated with a political party that consists of that party's female membership or acts to promote women within that party. The organisations take different roles and types, with some giving women the option of joining and others automatically enrolling all...
of the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
(ANC). It was founded in 1931 as the Bantu Women's League, with Charlotte Maxeke
Charlotte Maxeke
Charlotte Makgomo Maxeke , a South African religious leader and political activist, was born at Ramokgopa near Polokwane. As a young girl she sang in concerts and while on tour to Canada and the United States she was offered a scholarship to study at Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio...
as its first president. It was integrated into the ANC during the period from 1943, when women were first admitted as members of the ANC, to 1948, when the ANCWL was officially founded. It participated with the Federation of South African Women in protests against the apartheid-era government, such as the 1952 Defiance Campaign
Defiance Campaign
The Defiance Campaign against Unjust Laws was presented by the African National Congress at a conference held in Bloemfontein, South Africa in December 1951....
and the passbook protests
National Women's Day
National Women's Day is an annual public holiday in South Africa on August 9. This commemorates the national march of women on this day in 1956 to petition against legislation that required African persons to carry the "pass", special identification documents which curtailed an African's freedom of...
of 9 August 1956. In 1956, Lilian Ngoyi
Lilian Ngoyi
Lillian Masediba Ngoyi "Ma Ngoyi", , was a South African anti-apartheid activist. She was the first woman elected to the executive committee of the African National Congress, and helped launch the Federation of South African Women.Ngoyi joined the ANC Women's League in 1952; she was at that stage a...
became the first elected female member of the ANC National Executive Committee
National Executive Committee (African National Congress)
The ANC National Executive Committee is the chief executive organ of the South African political party, the African National Congress. It is elected at every National Conference; the executive committee, in turn, elects a National Working Committee for day-to-day decision-making responsibilities.On...
.
Among the activists and politicians who were allied with the ANC during the apartheid years are:
- Lilian Ngoyi
- Helen JosephHelen JosephHelen Joseph , a South African anti-apartheid activist, was born in Easebourne near Midhurst West Sussex, England and graduated from King's College London, in 1927. After working as a teacher in India for three years, Helen came to South Africa in 1931, where she met and married Billie Joseph...
- Dorothy Nyembe
- Sophie du Bruyn
- Ray Alexander and Rayn Alexander
- Frances BaardFrances BaardFrances Goitsemang Baard was a South African trade unionist, organiser for the African National Congress Women's League and a Patron of the United Democratic Front, who was commemorated in the renaming of the Diamantveld District Municipality as the Frances Baard District Municipality.-Background...
- Rahima Moosa
- Winnie Madikizela-MandelaWinnie Madikizela-MandelaWinnie Madikizela-Mandela is a South African politician who has held several government positions and headed the African National Congress Women's League. She is currently a member of the ANC's National Executive Committee...
In 1994, a revived African National Congress Women's League negotiated a number of constitutional provisions and policy stands favorable to women; however, some of these have not yet been implemented.