Women’s Month is celebrated each year during the month of August as a tribute to the brave women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. To honour women, we created a series of videos featuring inspirational Christel House SA staff, graduates, and students. Each video covered a different topic related to women and aimed to inspire and empower.
Gender-based violence
According to the South African Police Service, South Africa has seen a drop in the crime rate since lockdown started but the cases of domestic violence have increased. Eugenia Dlodlo – Sibanda, Dean of Student Development, says, “Learning to say no to fear can actually disempower and disarm the violence and the abuse suffered as a woman. You can say no.”
Self-love
One of our 2009 graduates, Sibusiso Mandongana, shared her thoughts on self-love and what this means. Sibusiso is currently studying Diagnostic Radiography at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and is a student Radiographer at Groote Schuur Hospital. She says, “Acknowledging your mistakes and celebrating your success is vital in fostering self-love as these are both part of who you are."
Equality
Our empowered CEO, Adri Marais, touched on equality in the workplace. “Women make up 52% of the world population, but fewer than 5% of the top CEO positions in the world go to women,” says Adri. She adds that this isn’t fair at all but in order to see a change, we must complete our education and pass our ambition on to our daughters so they can help build a just and fair society.