It was 54 years ago today when 20,000 South African women marched on Union Buildings in Pretoria in protest at apartheid laws which shackled their freedoms.
Weeks of planning went into one of the biggest protest movements women had ever undertaken and those who took part tell their inspiring story on allAfrica.com
Gxowa, who was 22, at the time said: "When we started, people doubted that we would be successful because we were poor and we didn't have money."
But steadfastly they went from village to village until every woman had had the opportunity to sign the petition protesting at draconian laws. The petition then led to the march. In the end they were victorious but Gxowa says there is still much work to be done to improve women's rights.
