The Pulse: A Fireplace Conversation

With Women’s Day being on the 9th, the month of August is a month when we celebrate the strength and resilience of women and their contribution to society and the country. This year, Women’s Day will be celebrated under the theme “Women’s Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment: Building Back Better for Women’s Improved Resilience.” On the day, important issues that women face such as gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, as well as gender inequality are highlighted. However, as the day passes, so does the hype. It is not enough that these issues are limited to just one day discussions and campaigns. In other words, it’s not just about one day or one month, it is about the everyday issues that really matter to women.

Focusing on the theme for 2023, it is important to unpack some of the current challenges to building back better, economic empowerment and resilience that women are facing. Women in South Africa continue to be disproportionately impacted by load shedding, the rising cost of living, mental health, quiet quitting, as well as hybrid work.

Load shedding has a direct and negative impact on women and girls’ human rights and security and indirectly sponsors gender-based violence. It has also been at the forefront of the push for return-to-work post-covid. Yet Studies indicate that flexible work arrangements play a crucial role in promoting gender equity and empowering women in the workplace; nearly three-quarters of women would look for a new job if their employer took away the option to work hybrid. This push has resulted in “quiet quitting” a new phenomenon deemed “a privilege that is afforded to people who have some perception that they have power at work, that their voice matters” by Nita Chinzer. A privilege not available to many working women; after all women continue to be disproportionately affected by low pay and spiraling cost of living.

Despite a focus on building back better, women’s empowerment or resilience since 2021, the status of women does not lie in the statistics on representation or the showcasing of women that we tend to be bombarded with in Women’s Month. It lies in the daily realities of weathering these and other social challenges which are having a devastating impact on women - 40% of South African women experience burn out, while 51% feel their stress levels are higher than a year ago and 43% reported their mental health as being poor or extremely poor.

In our work in workplaces, we hear again and again, that usual women’s month events, spa vouchers and celebrations are not enough to bring change. That is why Womaniko is taking this time to reboot our Fireplace Conversations so that we can connect with you and unpack the issues women really want to talk about. We’ve been quiet, but our ear has been on the ground, nevertheless. Womaniko is bringing back Fireplace Conversations to touch base with our community and give you the platform to talk about the issues that matter most to you.

Connect with us on the 17th of August 2023 at 18h30 SAST and let’s catch up about where we are, what we need to thrive in and out of the workplace.

Click in the following link to reserve a ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/682141041217

Help us host spaces that help you, let’s work together and reshape the Fireplace Conversations into spaces that can best support you.?