Did you know that August 9th was Women’s Day in South Africa? The national holiday commemorates a women’s protest march on the Union buildings in Pretoria, South Africa on 9 August 1956. The women were protesting apartheid legislation requiring Africans to carry a “pass,” or special identification documents.
The women, many holding white babies on their hips, stood silently outside the buildings for 30 minutes and then sang a song written for the occasion. One sentence, which is still in the National Anthem in Zulu, translates to “’When you strike a woman, you strike a rock” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXKur2FAN7g
Learning about our Global Neighbors is a big part of the Au Pair in America exchange between au pairs, host families and community counselors. We form a team dedicated to communicating and living with cultures from around the world. AIFS brings the world together.