National Women’s Day (Tuesday 9 August) not only marks the anniversary of the “herstoric” 1956 march in Pretoria to protest extending the carrying of passes to women, but calls for the celebration of the achievements of women, who hold their own in a man’s world.
The Helderberg boasts many such resilient and strong women who stand out as exemplary community servants and pride themselves in getting things done.
DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette commemorated the day dedicated to women by eliciting a special word from a few of these powerful figures who voiced their take on the significance of women in today’s world.
Ward 85 councillor and Subcouncil 8 chairperson CHANTAL CERFONTEIN: “A woman’s full and equal participation in all facets of society is a fundamental human right. Yet around the world, women are underrepresented. Women are critical to finding solutions to the biggest challenges we face today, and must be heard, valued and celebrated by society for reflecting its perspectives and choices for the advancement of humanity. A woman’s position, particularly in relation to a man, has had many facets over millennia. There seems to be a semblance of equality but hardly enough. The values of a much-too-close past are deep-rooted. Women remain torn between their real selves and what society says they are, a very confusing situation. Before being a politician, public servant and leader, I am a woman first. Woman empowerment is key. My aim is to challenge such received wisdom, break barriers and show what women can – and should – achieve.” Foto:
EDWINA HADFIELD, chairperson of the Gordon’s Bay Residents’ Association: “The world I grew up in is very different from the world most women experience today. Then, we were the person who stayed at home and looked after the children. Today it’s very different; most women have the ‘homemaker’s’ job plus a full working day, women are executives, they are engineers, doctors, scientists, politicians . . . the world is their oyster; how times have changed. We are powerful, assertive, goal-driven, but also have compassion, empathy and understanding. At times we can be vulnerable, but are also strong, worthy of respect, a newfound confidence, one liberated by seeing the many successful women. Today women have a strong sense of identity; the more we grow into a male-dominated ‘corporate’ world the more we are able to hold our own, and team it with a sense of humility, accepting the challenges that come our way and standing up for one another. As Mother Teresa said: ‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.’”Foto:
ADA BUYS, manager of Patch Helderberg centre for sexually abused children: “I think the significance of being a woman in today’s society is to bring kindness, love and hope into the world. I think we must fight very hard against wanting to be like men. They play their part in life and we play our part. Violence against children is creating the notion that being loving and kind is the reason for women being abused. We must fight very hard against the notion that we, as women, need to be prickly and rude to protect ourselves. The world needs our kindness and generosity. I serve the community by leading a wonderful team of people who provide services to child victims of sexual abuse in the Helderberg. The most important quality all these women have is their kindness.” Foto:
