You Have Touched the Women, You Have Struck a Rock
South African History Archive Collection
SAHA T-shirt archive, photographed for Common, curated by Khanya Mashabela for Common, 6 May–26 July 2023. Image courtesy of A4 Arts Foundation.
Title You Have Touched the Women, You Have Struck a Rock Date 1981 Type Archival garment
Associated organisations Medu Art Ensemble
Dimensions 59 x 46 cm

A SALUTE TO SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN NOW YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE WOMEN YOU HAVE STRUCK A ROCK YOU HAVE DISLODGED A BOULDER YOU WILL BE CRUSHED (front)


This T-shirt features a poster illustrated by Judy Seidman and Medu Art Ensemble's graphics unit to commemorate the 1956 Women's March in Pretoria. The poster features the English translation of a protest song sung at the march, Wathint abafazi wathint imbokodo.

The posters were originally produced in Botswana, and widely distributed by the United Democratic Front (UDF) and other political organisations in South Africa.

A collective of cultural workers and activists, Medu Art Ensemble was based in Gaborone, Botswana, from 1979 to 1985. The Ensemble supported the fight against apartheid through seven semi-autonomous units or creative mechanisms: Film, Graphics, Music, Photography, Poetry, Publishing and Research, and Theatre.

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