By: The Youth Voice reporter

Women from across Mpumalanga are set to take centre stage in Thulamahashe, Bushbuckridge, as the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature hosts its Women’s Parliament on the 21 st of August 2026 .

The programme will provide women with a platform to raise issues affecting their daily lives and engage government and other stakeholders on possible solutions.

Unlike an ordinary sitting of the legislature, a Women’s Parliament is designed to strengthen public participation by giving women an opportunity to voice their concerns, make recommendations and hold government accountable for commitments affecting their lives.

The gathering comes as South Africa commemorates 70 years since the historic Women’s March of 1956, when thousands of women marched to the Union Buildings against apartheid pass laws.

Seventy years later, women continue to face challenges including gender-based violence and femicide, unemployment, poverty, limited economic opportunities and inadequate access to essential services.

Previous Women’s Parliament engagements in Mpumalanga have focused on issues such as gender-based violence, women’s economic empowerment and monitoring the implementation of resolutions adopted at previous gatherings.

Bringing the programme to Thulamahashe is significant for Bushbuckridge, where women in rural communities continue to navigate challenges around economic opportunities, safety and access to services.

The event gives local women an opportunity to take their concerns directly to decision-makers and demand meaningful responses to the challenges they face.

It also provides the legislature with an opportunity to listen to communities, strengthen public participation and use women’s concerns to inform its oversight work.