( CNN ) -- He was loved and admired all over the world for helping to end apartheid and heal the scars of a divided nation . But in his fight for total freedom , the liberation leader also devoted himself to another cause -- the empowerment of women . Here are five things Nelson Mandela did to advance female equality in his quest for justice . 1 . Gender agenda . Although Mandela made tremendous strides in his battle to bring down apartheid , he recognized early on in his presidency that no major success was possible without gender equality . At the opening of the first parliament in 1994 , President Mandela declared , `` Freedom can not be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression ... Our endeavors must be about the liberation of the woman , the emancipation of the man and the liberty of the child . '' With the representation of women in South Africa 's parliament jumping tenfold from 2.7 % during apartheid to 27 % after the first democratic elections of 1994 , Mandela took action by appointing over a third of women to his cabinet . And today , females make up 44 % of the country 's politicians -- not far off from the government 's goal to reach `` 50/50 Gender Parity '' by 2015 . One of the most prominent appointments was Frene Ginwala as the Speaker of the House . She secured this position throughout his presidency as well as the first term of President Thabo Mbeki . 2 . Women of anti-apartheid era . In his celebrated autobiography `` Long Walk to Freedom , '' Mandela acknowledged men were n't alone in the anti-apartheid movement . In fact , the ANC Women 's League played a critical role . One of the most memorable moments came on August 9 , 1956 , when 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest legislation requiring black women to carry passes in urban areas . `` The women were courageous , persistent , enthusiastic , indefatigable and their protest against passes set a standard for anti-government protest that was never equalled , '' Mandela wrote in his book . Almost 40 years after the protest , in 1994 , he honored those women by declaring August 9 Women 's Day , a national holiday . 3 . Constitutional justice . For Mandela , democracy and gender equality were far from separate issues . In 1995 , at the time of drafting South Africa 's constitution , he said , `` As a tribute to the legions of women who navigated the path of fighting for justice before us , we ought to imprint in the supreme law of the land , firm principles upholding the rights of women . On International Human Rights Day in December 1996 , Mandela signed the final draft of the country 's constitution granting South Africa 's women one of the most comprehensive set of rights in the world . South Africa 's Constitution , states `` The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds , including race , gender , sex , pregnancy , marital status , ethnic or social origin , colour , sexual orientation , age , disability , religion , conscience , belief , culture , language and birth . '' It even called for the establishment of the Commission for Gender Equality , with the vision to create a `` society free from gender oppression and all forms of inequality . '' 4 . UN Convention . In 1993 , a year before Mandela became South Africa 's first democratically-elected president , the country signed the United Nations Convention to End All Forms of Discrimination Against Women . Two years later , the rainbow nation later ratified the treaty while he was in office . Often referred to as an 'international bill of rights for women ' , the convention set out to end all forms of discrimination against women and still is yet to be ratified by the United States . 5 . Speaking up for women . In 1996 , Mandela gave a compelling speech on South Africa 's Women 's Day , calling for full equality and an end to sexual violence against women . Not blind to the challenges ahead , he remarked : `` As long as women are bound by poverty and as long as they are looked down upon , human rights will lack substance . '' `` As long as outmoded ways of thinking prevent women from making a meaningful contribution to society , progress will be slow . As long as the nation refuses to acknowledge the equal role of more than half of itself , it is doomed to failure . '' But Mandela also went beyond rhetoric and took political action to improve the lives of women . During his presidency , he introduced free prenatal and postnatal care to mothers in the public health system as well as free health care to children up to the age of six . Though he was a firm believer in advancing women 's rights , today South Africa faces many challenges , in terms of violence against women . In fact , over the years , Mandela often expressed his dismay over the struggle to achieve equality for women . However , this hurdle did n't stop Mandela and his third wife Graca Machel . The pair continued to work on this issue after he retired from office . And , while the rainbow nation has not yet fully lived up to Mandela 's vision , he will remain an inspiration for all working towards social justice .
Mandela fought apartheid and advanced women 's rights . He was a great leader, but he didn't have the charisma of Obama or Clinton. He declared Women 's Day on August 9 .