Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA’s involvement in WW2

Date: 22 Jun 1940
Updated: 20 Jul 2026

About 10 000 Afrikaner women, led by Mrs H.C. Steyn, wife of former President M.T. Steyn, marched to the Union Buildings to protest about the South African involvement in World War 2 on the side of Britain. Mrs H.E.C. Armstrong, one of the organisers, wrote a letter to Prime Minister J.C. Smuts, in which she set out the reasons for the protest. A further 3 968 women sent telegrams to Smuts, while 3 829 signed petitions, which were handed to him. They were all united in their request that South Africa should withdraw from the war. The first Afrikaner women march took place on 4 August 1915, to request the release of Gen. C.R. de Wet, an Anglo-Boer War 2 hero.

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01Laubscher, L. (2006). 'Vroue-optogte niks nuuts', Tshwane-Beeld, 16 August, p. 4.
02Martiz, L. (2007). 'Die Afrikanervrou as volksmoeder: manlik gemanipuleerd of vroulik geÃƒÂƒÂ¯nisieerd?', Beeld, 27 Januarie.
03Boddy-Evans, Alistair., (1940), 'Women's Anti-Pass Law Campaigns in South Africa', from Africanhistory, [online], Available at africanhistory.about.com [Accessed: 20 June 2014]

Last updated · 20 Jul 2026

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA’s involvement in WW2. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011616

South African History Online (2011) 'Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA’s involvement in WW2', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011616 (Accessed: 27 July 2026).

South African History Online, Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA’s involvement in WW2 [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011616, (accessed 27 July 2026).

"Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA’s involvement in WW2." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011616. Accessed 27 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA’s involvement in WW2." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011616.