Women of power and beauty – Mandeni

Mandeni’s Sibusisiwe Hall was awash with colour and song last week as woman of all ages celebrated the power and beauty that is the African woman.

Dancing and adorned in traditional Zulu attire the women carried Zulu shields, symbolic of going into battle for the position of women in society.

The many speakers encouraged and exhorted the women present, with the golden thread throughout being battle cry to roll up their sleeves and work hard for their success.

The women’s month celebration, presented by Mandeni municipality together with the WDB Trust (providing developmental micro finance to poor rural women in order to bring them into the mainstream economy), brought to light many of the challenges faced by women daily under the theme “25 Years of Democracy: Growing South Africa Together for Women’s Emancipation.”

Among the issues discussed was the upliftment of women from all walks of life, opportunities for women in various sectors and how women can help one another other grow.

Mandeni acting mayor Phindile Sishi said there was still a mistaken belief in society that women could not lead.

She refuted this with conviction, while also encouraging the women to be bold in going after the same salaries as their male colleagues.

“You find that women are tasked to do the same scope of work as men and are holding a similar position but only to find that men are getting paid way more.

“We have to level the grounds for women to succeed and enjoy democratic South Africa,” said Sishi.