Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka looks up to her mother and "many other women who are care-givers who do extraordinary things with very little resources and support". She will be attending a Women’s Day rally in Kimberly to reflect on the challenges, and applaud the progress, our country has made. What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
Violence against women and children. What is your message to women on this Women's Day?
Forward ever, backward never! The ward needs women to solve the worst problem of our time: 'poverty'. Without investing in women, especially in education and economic empowerment, poverty will not be solved. Yet it is solvable, so we have to focus on educating and empowering women. If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
I would drastically reduce the number of poor households. (Alexander Joe, AFP)
picture 1/10
Patricia de Lille Independent Democrats leader, Patricia de Lille, looks up to opera singer Sibongile Khumalo as a female role model, for using "her powerful voice as a tool to continue the struggle for women’s rights". She will be visiting ID members in rural areas this Women’s Day, claiming her rights on this day as she does on every other day in the year. What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
Women themselves. We create pressures by accepting stereotyping and saying, 'I can't do it'. What is your message to women on this Women's Day?
Our rights are enshrined in our Constitution and it is up to us to get to know them and claim them. My message is this – implement your rights in your home, in the workplace and in your communities, breathe life into those paper rights so that they become a reality. If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
I would like to be part of delivering basic services to the poorest of the poor on a national level to help relieve their suffering - my freedom is meaningless until I have helped bring about economic freedom for our poor. (Photo supplied)
picture 2/10
Kass Naidoo South Africa's first female cricket commentator, Kass Naidoo admires "our mothers and grandmothers who paved the way for us to follow our dreams" and women like Jane Bramley, Janet Whitton, and Tinky Pringle in sports journalism. On Women's Day she'll do what she always does: continue promoting women in sport, in order to raise their profile significantly, so "corporate South Africa will realise their potential and give them the necessary backing". What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
Firstly, a hard-to-shake tendency to see ourselves as inferior, and secondly, obstacles placed in our paths by unsupportive women. What is your message to women on this Women's Day?
Success is a personal thing. It's a waste of time measuring yourself against anyone else. Find out what your passion is and pursue it; the ways to achieving it will fall into place naturally. If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
I would like to always celebrate my femininity in everything I do. Women have incredible strength and beauty; there is no reason to give it up to make it in a man's world. (Nick Boulton, photo supplied)
picture 3/10
Penny Heynes Swimmer and Olympic world record holder, Penny Heynes, has several mentors that she looks up to in her life. "All have one quality in common: they are strong women, people of integrity who live out their faith in the Lord Jesus." What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
The challenge of remaining in balance. To be true to themselves, their unique dreams and ambitions and yet still remain feminine, non-threatening to their husbands and there for their children. To keep on top of opportunities in a man's world sometimes means that women have to work twice as hard and may compromise on their roles as mother and wife. What is your message to women on this Women's Day?
Be strong, know your purpose, live accordingly and remain balanced. If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
To accomplish all that the Lord has intended for me to do whilst on earth. To use my talents and the platform afforded me and to make a lasting, tangible difference in the lives of those around me, whom I have the privilege of being exposed to. To be true to my calling and God-given purpose. (Omni Share, photo supplied)
picture 4/10
Nomsebenzi Tsotsobe Model and Springbok women's rugby captain Nomsebenzi Tsotsobe looks up to her mother and "any other women in this world who are positive and strong". She will be attending her best friend's wedding and playing a netball tournament this Women's Day. What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
Women are still not empowered in leadership positions – women who are there at the moment are there to add numbers which I feel is not fair. What is your message to women on this Women's Day?
It's never too late to learn – women must go out and network and they must stop feeling sorry for themselves. If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
Happiness and love are the things I most want to have. (Photo supplied)
picture 5/10
Rhoda Kadalie Rhoda Kadalie is a former Human Rights Commissioner and the Executive Director of Impumelelo Innovations and Awards Trust. She looks up to the women her project awards, who run HIV/Aids projects around the country. She will be in Dakar this Women's Day with Breyten Breytenbach, Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert and others to celebrate the meeting between ANC cadres and internal civic actors 20 years ago and to reflect on the challenges facing Africa. What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
One of the greatest pressures, scourges, we face as women is the lack of freedom. Violence and the prospect of rape rob us of living a full life. If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
A violence-free South Africa so that the girl child can grow up freely and reach her full potential unhindered by cultural and traditional patriarchal restrictions on her development. Secondly, I should like to campaign openly for the free election of women representatives who will put the interests of the girl child and women above party political [interests] and their own vested interests. What we have in Parliament are women who behave no differently to the men and who feel threatened by other powerful women. (Ellen Elmendorp, photo supplied)
picture 6/10
Sam Wilson Women24 editor, Sam Wilson looks up to many women, among them writer Arundhati Roy, Ursula K Le Guin for introducing her to feminist anarchism, Naomi Klein for keeping the flame of true activist journalism alive and her mother "for bringing me up to believe that I am beautiful, clever and interesting… even when others might not agree". What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
Having to over-perform in too many areas at once – at home, at work, socially, intellectually. Of course, that's just from my middle class slice of life. For the vast majority of women in the world, the pressures are as they have always been: trying to avoid abuse, make ends meet and keep a family going. What is your message to women on this Women's Day?
Be kinder to yourselves and each other. Drop some balls. Fail to judge someone. Hug with purpose and get properly hugged back. Speak for someone who is voiceless. If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
My pipe dream is the obvious one – wave my wand and eliminate the abuse of women across the globe. Realistically, I'd like to bring up balanced sons, who don't need to clamber over women to feel strong. (Photo supplied)
picture 7/10
Burni Amansure Hip hop artist and activist, Bernadette 'Burni' Amansure of Godessa looks up to outspoken, strong, confident women pioneers, and will be spending Women’s Day with the most important woman in her life: her mother. What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
We still live in a society were women are treated as second class citizens because we aren’t economically empowered. Often times in low income households you would find that the females are responsible for supporting the entire family on what I think should be called slave wages and not minimum wage. What is your message to women on this Women's Day?
As women we are all capable of achieving so much more by working together and recognising each other's strengths instead of breaking each other down because that only shows weakness and insecurity. We need to start taking the initiative in creating our own business ventures and utilising the laws of this country to protect ourselves. If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
I would love to be able to create a successful brand name for myself that would eventually allow me to generate enough money to employ people to run my brand name and I would love to employ people from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in working in the entertainment industry. (Photo supplied)
picture 8/10
Nicole Fox Radio DJ and personality, Nicole Fox looks up to her mother as being one of the most amazing women she knows, and will be spending Women's Day with her on the Rovos Rail in Pretoria. She also respects Edith Venter for giving so generously of her time to charities and to helping others, and Madonna "for being the ultimate role model when it comes to dancing to the beat of one's own drum". What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
I feel the abuse of women is such a major issue, especially in South Africa. We have so many pressures as it is: having to excel in the workplace, be good mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, friends. Why do we still need to feel unsafe in our homes and environments? Any kind of abuse and rape is simply unacceptable and I wish we didn't have to see that being so prevalent in our society today. We need to empower ourselves with urgency! What is your message to women on this Women's Day?
Let's help and support other women around us! If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
I would love to make a positive difference to women in South Africa. (Photo supplied)
picture 9/10
Sandra Botha The Democratic Alliance's leader of the official opposition in Parliament, Sandra Botha looks up to "ordinary women who have to cope with poverty, hard work, dismal circumstances and who still manage to make a functional home". She will be addressing her party's women’s movement, DAWN, at their annual congress in East London this Women's Day. What are the biggest pressures facing women today?
Balancing the demands of work with the needs of home. What is your message to women on this women's day?
Be kind to yourself and forget your frailties. Begin tomorrow anew. If you could achieve one thing in your life what would it be?
Protect our children from harm. (Verashni Pillay, News24)
picture 10/10
|
previous
