Frances Goitsemang Baard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frances Maswabi (or Masuabi) 13 June 1909 Green Point, Beaconsfield, Kimberley |
| Died | 1997 at the age of 87 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Other names | Frances Maswabi (or Masuabi) |
| Education | Racecourse Primary School and the Lyndhurst Road School in Malay Camp, Kimberley, Perseverance School |
| Occupation(s) | Trade unionist, organiser |
| Organization(s) | African National Congress Women's League, United Democratic Front, South African Congress of Trade Unions |
| Known for | Helped draft the Freedom Charter; one of the leaders of the 1956 Women's march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria; one of the defendants in the Treason Trial; protest against the pass laws |
| Spouse | Bamboo Baard |
| Parent(s) | Spider Man Maswabi, Sarah Voss |
Frances Goitsemang Baard OMSS OLG (1 October 1909 – 1997) was a South African (ethnic Tswana) trade unionist, organiser for the African National Congress Women's League and a Patron of the United Democratic Front, who was commemorated in the renaming of the Diamantveld District Municipality (Kimberley) as the Frances Baard District Municipality. Schoeman Street in Pretoria was also renamed in her honour. This heroine is the reason we celebrate National Women's Day today in South Africa.