Women

In 1989 the AAM appointed a women’s campaign organiser and held a month of anti-apartheid action on women. All over the country women organised meetings, exhibitions and demonstrations outside supermarkets selling South African and Namibian products. This poster advertised a Women’s Cabaret Evening in Tottenham, north London to raise funds to buy a minibus for the ANC’s Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College in Tanzania.

In 1989 the AAM appointed a women’s organiser and held a month of anti-apartheid action on women in March. Women all over Britain held meetings, exhibitions and demonstrations outside supermarkets selling South African and Namibian products. This leaflet advertised a women’s cabaret evening held in Tottenham, north London to raise funds to buy a minibus for the ANC’s Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College in Tanzania.

This leaflet advertised a dayschool held in 1988 to inform British women about the living conditions of women in Southern Africa. It also aimed create greater awareness of the role of women in the anti-apartheid struggle within the AAM.

Front cover of a booklet about the ‘Sisters of the Long March’, a South African theatre group that toured Britain, September–December 1988, to win support for South African workers in their long-running dispute with the British-owned company BTR Sarmcol. The Sisters were a seven-woman song and dance group from Natal. They took their show to over 20 venues all over the country. The year before, a theatre group set up by the BTR workers brought their play about the strike ‘The Long March’ to Britain. Both tours were sponsored by the British TUC and supported by the AAM. 

‘Sisters of the Long March’ toured Britain, September–December 1988, to win support for South African workers in their long-running dispute with the British-owned company BTR Sarmcol. The Sisters were a seven-woman song and dance group from Natal. They took their show to over 20 venues all over the country. The year before, a theatre group set up by the BTR workers brought their play about the strike ‘The Long March’ to Britain. Both tours were sponsored by the British TUC and supported by the AAM. 

This multilingual leaflet publicised the rally in Hyde Park held on 17 July 1988, the eve of Mandela’s 70th birthday, as the culmination of the ‘Nelson Mandela Freedom at 70’ campaign. It was produced by the AAM Women’s Committee. The rally was attended by around 250,000 people.

Women from the ANC Women’s Section and AAM Women’s Committee demonstrated in support of Theresa Ramashamola on 9 March, to mark International Women’s Day. Theresa was one of the Sharpeville Six, who were sentenced to death in December 1985 because they were present at a protest where black collaborators were killed. After huge international protests the death sentences were commuted in July 1988.

Leeds Women Against Apartheid was formed in 1986 to bring together women in support of their sisters in South Africa and Namibia. The group reached out to women’s organisations in West Yorkshire, raising funds for women in Southern Africa, boycotting apartheid goods and holding day schools publicising the situation of women under apartheid. It was linked to a women’s group in Soshunguve township, near Pretoria. This leaflet advertised an event with stalls, entertainment and discussion on International Women’s Day, 8 March 1988.

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