Here’s to South Africa’s Strong Women

After concluding a four-part series on gratitude a few weeks ago, how appropriate that South Africa's National Women's Day should be just days away. If ever there was a reason to be grateful, it would be for the actions or presence of some woman in our lives.

Unequivocally beautiful and fundamentally unselfish, so many women in South Africa reflect a deep reservoir of strength. All too often, they are the ones who selflessly give up their own educational and employment opportunities to care for and uplift the individuals, families, and communities around them.?

In 1956, as 20 000 South African women from every race marched toward the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest "pass laws", they sang the freedom song "Wathint'Abafazi Wathint'imbokodo!"?which means "you strike a woman, you strike a rock".

And I am profoundly grateful to these women. But, first, for the freedoms, they won for me. The mere fact that I came to my racially diverse workplace today with only a driver's license is only slight evidence of their success.

More importantly, however, I'm thankful for the empowerment I feel when I reflect on their quiet courage and determination in the face of injustice. And yet, while women today undoubtedly enjoy levels of freedom that previous generations only dreamed about, there is still a need for radical change.

More than 50 years since the first Women's Day march, South African women still draw the short straw for education, employment, compensation, health, and personal safety. Worse still, while the ravages of pandemics do not discriminate based on gender, they remind us that the vulnerable are often the hardest hit. For example, a report published by UN Women in September 2020 found that roughly 740 million women working in informal economic sectors around the globe lost 60% of their income in the initial months of the COVID.

National Women's Day isn't a spa day. Instead, it is a day for both reflections upon the unequal sacrifices women must make to survive, let alone achieve goals and dreams.

May we know them:

When I think about examples of South African women who have embodied this courageous and overcoming spirit, I think of Edna Rich, Senior Lecturer in Child and Family Studies at the University of the Western Cape.

Dr Rich grew up on the Cape Flats after the government forcibly relocated her parents from District Six. She was one of nine children. Her father, a church minister, cultivated a deep appreciation for reading, writing and learning from when she was small. Her mother nurtured in her a beautiful spirit of service to others and the community.

However, Apartheid did not afford many opportunities to so-called coloured children from the Cape Flats, so at the age of 16, she abandoned her schooling to work to support her family. She eventually landed a job in a bank and worked there for many years, steadily advancing in her career to a credit controller position.

Unfortunately, after many years of service, the bank folded and retrenched her, and as part of her severance package, she was awarded a bursary to study. Despite not having the entrance requirements, the university accepted her to their undergrad programme on recognition for prior learning (RPL).

A voracious reader and diligent student, she consistently achieved outstanding academic performance, ultimately earning a PhD in her late 50's.

May we be them

Dr Rich's love of learning created the opportunities that infused her life and story with the transformative power to inspire growth and change in individuals by serving as a living example of the power of learning and its ability to open doors and create opportunities where none existed before.

Equity doesn't begin in the workplace. It starts in the home and moves to the classroom before being considered in the boardroom. As a Human Resources professional, I am painfully aware that we must resource our people to create opportunities for promotion.

May we raise them

Now I must confess. I'm not just a fan of Dr Rich because how her story of her shows us the untapped potential of so many of South Africa’s women.

I always wonder at how many other bright minds never had the opportunity to expand their capabilities.?My mother epitomises for me that learning and education can change the trajectory of one’s life.

I'm a fan because her nurturing and caring love shaped me into the woman I am today. She is as much my mentor as she is my mother.

Through her example, my daughter Anna and I have learned the value of women, the treasure of our minds and education, and the importance of resilience to take charge of the "stuff" life hands you. My daughter learned these lessons better than I did. Rather than looking for me to save her, she models the strength she built from the challenges she faced each day.

So, this Women's Day, take a moment to exercise gratitude for all the women in your life who shaped you into the person you are today. Think of each auntie, gogo, domestic worker, female entrepreneur, businesswoman, and politician sacrificing to improve the communities and economies that shape this land.

And for the men looking for a way to contribute meaningfully to this day, I challenge you to follow the example of my grandfather. He consistently encouraged and supported the woman in his life to realise their potential. Helping others to climb the ladder of success, whether personal, entrepreneurial, corporate or otherwise, does not hold one back. Instead, it opens more opportunities for collaboration and success for all.

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