Young women attend information session
The workshop reached students at Ekurhuleni West College (Lazarus Nhlapo) in Tembisa on Tuesday last week.
Empowering thousands of young women in 2015 and making over their lives in the process, Kotex® and Code Teen continued with their inspiring and enlightening Girlology workshop.
The workshop reached students at Ekurhuleni West College (Lazarus Nhlapo) in Tembisa on Tuesday last week.
The aim of the workshop is to tackle all aspects of “becoming a woman” and equipping young women with potential solutions for dealing with real-life and unique challenges faced by the nation’s youth, such as substance abuse, gangsterism, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence and HIV/Aids.
Young women, aged 17 to 25 from across Tembisa, were educated and enriched with information to feel self-confident and inspired.
Impacting the lives of more than 27 000 women in South Africa since its inception in 2011, Girlology aims to reach even more young women this year.
Girlology kicked off in the Western Cape in March and is incorporated into students’ curriculum in the same way as regular subjects, making them the programme easy to access.
Beginning in the Western Cape, the movement has been extended to reach KZN, Gauteng, the North West and even Botswana.
Girlology addresses young female concerns in a comprehensible public forum and is the basis of “The Ultimate Guide to Surviving and Thriving being a GIRL”.
Another key feature of the Girlology workshop is the ‘Femfacts’ session, during which the attendees are educated about menstruation facts and personal hygiene, all with the aim of helping young women to embrace their journey of being a woman.
Towards the end of the workshop, a Guy vs Girl panel is simulated, providing an opportunity for girls to gain a rare glimpse into what guys think about girls, dating and other topics which many young women seek clarity on.
This section of the programme allows for honest interaction. Furthering its appeal, well-known personalities such as Langa Mbonambi, Mobi Dixon and Jobie Clarke attended the workshop.
Ms Karen Burt, the founder of Code Teen, Girlology and a professional life coach, said the workshop tackles serious subjects in a straight-forward way.
“Parents and teachers may be too shy or embarrassed to talk honestly about menstruation, drugs, sex or contraception. Yet these young women are entering a phase of life where they need information and answers. The 21st century is a minefield for young women and, together with Kotex®, we want to give them the tools to live their lives to the fullest and reach their maximum potential. Even though the topics may be serious, the ‘fun’ side of being a young woman is not forgotten,” said Ms Burt.
“Through Girlology workshops, Kotex® aims to continue to impact young women’s lives and encourage conversations around uncomfortable issues which all women face. As part of our latest campaign, ‘Goodbye Leakage Freakage, Hello Kotex’, we are encouraging women to embrace their womanhood and feel confident and not worry about fusses such as leakage,” said Tinashe Nyamuramba, the brand manager for Kotex.
All the attendees were given goodie bags.
