Young leader believes women have a role to play in making positive impact

With only a few days into Women’s Month we take a look at a young woman who is taking up a leadership role and making sure she influences change in her peers.

Vutlhari Chauke, head girl of St Catherine’s School, describes herself as a natural born leader.

“I believe I have a purpose and an important role to play in my school, community and in the world. I was born to stand out and I’m not afraid of standing for what I believe in, even if it means I stand alone,” said Vutlhari.

Being a head girl grants her an opportunity to serve, be a positive influence and a good example to her peers.

“Being a head girl to me means being an ambassador for the school. I get to showcase the holistic qualities of my school and everything that St Catherine’s is about is reflected through me. It means being a role model to my peers, my fellow matriculants and to all the learners in the school.

“It means being a voice for those who believe they do not have a voice or are too afraid to use theirs. It is about truly leading by example, not just by mouth but by appearance, attitude and actions. It means empowering and inspiring young people,” said Vutlhari.

She said being in a leadership role has taught her a lot about herself.

“I had an opportunity to be the head girl of both my primary school, Germiston South School, and now my high school.

“In both cases I have learnt that I am equipped with something amazing. I never expected to be the head girl in both these occasions.

“I have learnt that you need courage to make some tough decisions, to be a good listener and to listen compassionately to the needs of others. Most importantly, I have learnt that it is about speaking up about inequalities, injustices, and other issues no matter how uncomfortable I felt or how uncomfortable it made others feel. It was about leading and not waiting for someone else to do it,” said Vutlhari.

For her, leadership is not about an individual.

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“Leadership for me is about the people as those people put trust in their leadership to do the right thing. That is why I must exude confidence in the decisions that I have had to make to reassure my peers and fellow learners as they had put their trust in me,” said Vutlhari.

She feels South Africa needs more women in leadership roles.

“When you empower women, you empower a nation. Without a woman, no leader would have been born so the lack of women in leadership positions is questionable,” said Vutlhari.

“Having more female leaders would change the perception of who can lead and what qualities are necessary to be in leadership positions.”

Her biggest inspiration is her grandmother.

“My grandmother, Doreen Tsakane Baloyi, is the most inspiring woman I know. For 17 years this woman has helped in shaping and moulding who I am today. She taught me humility and strength. She encouraged me to be proud of myself regardless of my circumstances and background,” said Vuthlari.

She identified five issues to tackle if she had the opportunity to lead the country for a week.

“I would address gender-based violence and child abuse, inequalities in the education system, factors contributing to the faults in our education system that lead many learners into dropping out of school, poverty and homelessness and unemployment. I think these issues have an impact on one’s life. By addressing these issue we offer young people the opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Vutlhari.

Talking about her future career, she said she hopes to study law or computer engineering.

“My dream is to be a judge or a member of Parliament. In this position I would be able to impact some change,” said Vutlhari