Pretoria: At its meeting on Wednesday, Cabinet called on all sectors of society and all South Africans to continue their tributes and programmes in support of women as part of Women’s Month.

This year marks 56 years since the historic women’s march of 1956.

On Women’s Day yesterday, the streets for Pretoria were crammed with women who marched from Lillian Ngoyi Square (formerly known as Strijdom Square – the point from which the 1956 women marched) to the Union Buildings, escorted by traffic officials and singing freedom songs.

The 9 August 1956 march to the Union Buildings was led by four women — Charlotte Maxeke, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams De Bruyn.

South Africa now observes August as Women’s Month. It is a tribute not only to the thousands of women who marched in 1956, but also to the pioneers of the women’s movement in the count

At the Union Buildings, President Jacob Zuma addressed the massive crowd, saying the Gender Equality Bill must be fast tracked if the country is to further level the playing field for women and that the representation of women at the senior and top management levels of the public service needed to be looked at.

The Gender Equality Bill will be tabled before Cabinet during the 2012/13 financial year and will enforce compliance in government and the private sector.