Bwasa, Prisa celebrate International Women’s Day

The Business Women’s Association of South Africa (Bwasa) Limpopo in partnership with the Public Relations Institute of South Africa (Prisa) Limpopo hosted an International Women’s Day Dialogue with women leaders from various sectors at a venue in the city on Sunday.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme was ‘I am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights’.
The women attending all provided input and Provincial Director of Operations of the South African Local Government Association (Salga), Ledile Sebati said that the reality is that women in leadership are in the minority. “However, you need to be aware of your environment and know your cause and purpose in order to deal with the harsh reality in your position to make an impact,” she reckoned.
“We need to coordinate our efforts to accelerate gender parity in an integrated manner to ensure maximum impact,” Bwasa Limpopo chairperson Tshepo Mathabatha said. “We advocate for women to develop and nurture a pull-up syndrome and more over ensure documentation of the good work women are doing in general. We are good in narrating and it is time that we shift the poles towards documenting our work. We need to share the knowledge beyond the circle of people we know,” Prisa Limpopo chairperson Phuti Mothapo added.
Sharing her journey in sports, President of Netball South Africa, Africa and board member of World Netball Cecilia Molokwane said being a woman in leadership is very challenging yet fulfilling. “However, it is about being the change you want to see, you take tough decisions and because you have a vision nothing can deter you. I want to professionalise netball seeing it as the number one female sport in this country. We are also working towards having a dedicated television channel,” Molokwane announced and added that every effort is made to encourage young girls to go for their dreams regardless of how far removed they are from their reality.
The women agreed that the days of looking for someone to blame are over. “We should pull each other up, starting with the women in our own environment. We need each other to make a difference. This we do not for ourselves but for future generations” Chief Risk Officer of Limpopo Economic Development Agency Theresa Raophala urged.
In closing, a commitment was made to ensure collaboration in all programmes of the organisations present at the dialogue.

Story and photo: BARRY VILJOEN
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