National Women's Day is observed in South Africa every August 9. This public holiday commemorates the national march of women that took place on August 9, 1956, during the apartheid era, where over 50,000 women protested against proposed amendments to the pass laws by marching to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The march is symbolized by the phrase from a protest song sung during the event: “You strike a woman, you strike a rock.” National Women's Day was officially declared a public holiday in 1994 and has been celebrated annually since then. Notably, the 50th anniversary of the march in 2006 was marked by a reenactment involving many veterans of the original protest.