Womens Day South Africa 2023

My Girl Pearl

It is a day of opportunity to celebrate women’s accomplishments throughout South Africa. 

In fact history bursts with important events that women have contributed in making South Africa a better place. South Africa has great Women that fought for what they believe in such as, Lilian Ngoyi – “known as the mother of Black Resistance”, Helen Suzman who pursued racial and gender equality, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng who was the most influential women in academics and so many more great South African women.  

Women have always played essential roles in the movements for voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, labour rights, children’s rights, and not just that, they are the nurturers to our nation.

AIMS is celebrating Women’s day this year by supporting My Girl Pearl a tragic story that happened to an innocent women.  Hlengiwe “Pearl” Msimango was shot and killed by her fiancé in their Kempton Park, Johannesburg, home on August 3, 2020.

Pearl leaves behind two lovely children. Her three year old daughter that is now 6 years old witnessed the attack on her mother while her brother who was 8months at time was in the room. They are being taken care of by a family member. The My Girl Pearl was created in her honour and to ensure that her children are financially secure. 

All bracelets are meticulously handcrafted with a pearl to commemorate her beauty. She was a vivacious spirit who brought happiness to everyone she met. Pearl was one of several ladies who had experienced Gender Based Violence.

Every four hours, a woman is killed in South Africa, with at least half of them murdered by an intimate partner. Women are murdered by intimate partners at a rate five times greater than the worldwide average. With so many women and children being faced with Gender based violence in South Africa we need to stand together and do everything we can to put an end to violence against women and children! This should not only be the day that we celebrate women, we should celebrate them every day and protect them from a young age all the way through their lives.

On the occasion of Women’s Day, what are you planning to do to honour women, and how do you show women that you value and respect them on a daily basis?

Happy Women’s day to our fellow South Africans.