The National Women's Monument unveiled in Bloemfontein in 1913

The National Women's Monument in Bloemfontein, South Africa, stands as a poignant memorial, commemorating the approximately 27,000 Boer women and children who died in British concentration camps during the Second Boer War. Designed by Frans Soff and sculpted by Anton van Wouw, the monument comprises an obelisk about 35m in height, surrounded by low semi-circular walls, and a central bronze group based on a sketch by Emily Hobhouse, showcasing two sorrowful women and a dying child in the Springfontein camp.

The monument was unveiled on 16 December 1913 before an estimated 20,000 South Africans. While initially, the monument did not have any men depicted, a war memorial was added later. Emily Hobhouse, an English anti-war activist, had provided the inspiration for the central bronze group. Thirteen years after the unveiling, Emily Hobhouse's ashes were ensconced at the foot of the monument. The graves of several notable figures, including Christiaan de Wet, Rev. John Daniel Kestell, President Martinus Steyn, and his wife, are also located near the monument.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons