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. 

Emma Mashinini dedicated her life to activism from the young age of 14. An icon of the labour movement, she mobilised workers against unjust treatment, especially women in the textile & clothing industries. In a society that oppressed black women, she defied limitations & firmly believed in the woman’s role in the struggle. Continuing her legacy means voting to protect & uphold our hard-won rights.