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August is here,

annually tribulating the women's contribution to the resistance.

Ironically, Women's month is intended to acknowledge women, commemorate women, honour women and their resilience.

All in national unity? Unity is a mirage unreached. 

Resilience is a comfort word used by men to justify the cruelty, exploitation and pain women have endured throughout history.

While pouring hot oil down their throats. 

Over the course of the past three years, Women's month has unveiled the surging femicide and gender-based violence gripping South Africa's social arena.

Another women's month and more women will continue to be killed, their bodies dismembered and raped. 

Some will make headlines, most will not. 

Women will continue to exist between the liminal spaces of their visceral nightmares and reality.

Weary women will continue to organise and mobilise gender-based violence protests and campaigns, that will take to the street and social media platforms. Perhaps a march to parliament wearing blue surgical masks, to protect them from covid but proven ineffective at men's assault. 

President Ramaphosa will proceed to address the nation. Apologising and condemning the horrific actions of men. 

And go on to mention how our country is “fighting another pandemic" when in actuality this is the original pandemic women have been fighting for aeons. Apologies don't bring the dead to life, nor do they heal gaping wounds.

Another women's month and the one in three 

rape statistic remains the same, if not higher. 

The sky has turned pitch black from women's tears and weeping

Pain seems to fuel this rainbow nation.

Another women's month and students will continue to have online lectures. 

Lecturers will facilitate team's meetings; 

deadlines will be missed. 

Ignorance and indifference will continue to oversee the minds of the young and seemingly educated. Unfortunately, apathy is not a compulsory elective. 

Everything will be as close to normal as it possibly can be. 

Except not quite, because it's not normal that a country is able 

to be a rape capital. Let alone that we are it.

This women's month we commemorate the powerful 20 000 women who marched to the Union Building in 1956 and their predecessors. 

We commemorate the iconic, the ordinary, the nameless and forgettable women. 

We honour women for being as they are. Whether it be “imbokodo" or sharp fragile glass.

Women's month has come to be a season of unassailable hope and survival.