In the run-up to the elections, we’re celebrating #21Sheroes – some of the women who fought a racist, apartheid state to help win our freedoms. Their resistance, courage & protest inspired a legacy we honour in Freedom Month. They also remind us never to take our political rights for granted. Follow #21Sheroes for more. 

Charlotte Maxeke broke through the barriers of her time to become South Africa’s first black female graduate. She advocated for equal education & fought to make the voices of women heard. As a forerunner of the Bantu Women’s League, she stood up against inequality & unjust pass laws. Her extraordinary life should inspire active citizenship in us today.