The Female Principal Support Programme was launched at the Forderville Primary School hall on Wednesday, May 13.
Having already been launched on a national scale in August 2013 in Pretoria, the programme has now been launched on a regional level.
With the world’s history of gender discrimination particularly against women, women have now taken part in leading society; however, males still hold the reigns.
This programme, by the education system, serves to establish a support network for females in managerial positions, to celebrate and promote the advancement of women in these positions, as well as to capacitate female principals in order to improve the entire education system.
However, as shared by the many speakers at the launch, the aims cannot be achieved without women supporting and encouraging each other to move forward. Hence, giving men leeway to have little faith in women managing the workplace. Nestle’s Silindile Manyathi reflected on the advice her late uncle gave her as she assumed her role in the company.
“My uncle told me I was about to enter a male dominated environment that the minute I enter the gate, I was a colleague, because if I entered as a woman, they’d trample all over me,” reflected Ms Manyathi.
She then urged the principals to be women with visions and to create a generation free of the social ills we face today, through educating.
Nkosiyapha Ndlovu of the Education Department shared that such teacher development programmes focus on the empowerment and advancement of women.
Therefore, he urged women to apply for managerial positions should posts be available. Councillor Edith Lite who was present on behalf of Umtshezi Municipality, backed the ladies in saying women should stand by each other and stop gossiping and pulling each other down.
However, she maintained that anything that had had a woman’s input was always a success.
Councillor Lite also mentioned that on May 30, she would ensure that the committee would be known to council and that programmes like these will be part and parcel of municipal activities; bringing much elation to the principals.