“GENERATION EQUALITY: REALIZING WOMEN'S RIGHTS FOR AN EQUAL FUTURE" 2024 WOMEN'S DAY THEME
The theme for Women's Month and Women's Day celebrates the efforts of women towards achieving equality, and OAS honors these contributions. Additionally, OAS showcases several success stories, demonstrating the indispensable value of women in the business world.
Achieving equality for women extends beyond equal pay; it encompasses equal recognition, advancement opportunities, and authority, coupled with respect. It is well-established that the absence of gender equality can detrimentally impact a nation's entire economy.
Tribute to the brave women who pioneered Women's right to equality:
Every year, in August, South marks Women’s Month and OAS joins the call to pay tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 (hence Women's Day SA) in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. A system meant to control women even further and reduce women to passive beings, at the mercy of men.
Women’s Month is a tribute not only to the thousands of women who marched on that day in 1956, but also a tribute to the pioneers of the women’s movement in South Africa, dating back to 1913, when women like Charlotte Maxeke led the way in establishing the ANC Women’s League and encouraging women to engage in the struggle for freedom.
Pioneers include Cissy, Jaynab and Amina Gool, who were amongst the leaders of the National Liberation League and the Non-European United Front of the 1930s.The names of Ray Alexander Simons, Elizabeth Mafikeng and Elizabeth Abrahams will always be associated with the struggles of women.
In the 1940s Amina Pahad and Gadijah Christopher, who were amongst the first volunteers to occupy the site of the 1946 Passive Resistance Campaign on Umbilo Road in Durban cannot go unnoticed.
The OAS asserts: one should never underestimate women's capacity to build empires, as evidenced by the numerous examples of their capabilities across various industries. Below are a few examples:
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, known for establishing a small hat shop in the early 1900s, daringly expanded her enterprise to encompass a sporty yet elegant clothing line. Indeed, she promoted her line by donning riding trousers in the early 1920s, an act that was then considered quite scandalous.
Defying the patriarchal norms of the time, she ventured into men's wear and perfumes. Today, Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel legacy endures as the most iconic brand in the fashion industry, namely: Coco Chanel.
Arlene Mulder
Arlene Mulder stands out as a prominent entrepreneur and innovator within the African tech startup ecosystem. She was honored with the Forbes Woman Africa Technology and Innovation Award in 2019 and has served as a global ambassador for She Loves Tech.
Mulder is the founder of SheLovesCode, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing digital education in Africa. Additionally, she established BiB, Africa's inaugural audio library application.
Sarah Collins
When it comes to businesswomen in South Africa, Sarah Collins is one of the most exciting entrepreneurs focused on social activism. She started Wonderbag, a company focused on providing an empowering and sustainable solution for rural African communities. This is achieved through her heat-retention cooker that doesn’t use any electricity. Sarah Collins has won the Climate Change Leadership Award, and her company was listed in Time’s 50 Most Genius Companies in 2018. This came after Wonderbag was recognized as the fastest-growing carbon offset project in Africa.
Mayleen Kyster Nduli
Mayleen Kyster Nduli founded African Steel Holdings at a time when South Africa's steel industry was struggling to survive. Now, the company stands as a frontrunner in the raw, manufactured, and fabricated steel sectors, providing materials for numerous construction projects across South Africa.
Nduli's contributions have earned her recognition from the Steel and Engineering Federation of Southern Africa for her innovations in the local steel industry.
In conclusion, OAS is a fervent advocate for gender equality. Indeed, it is fair to state that the success of OAS today is largely attributable to the contributions of its female staff and management.
OAS holds the belief that technology is facilitating women's access to education, employment opportunities, and entrepreneurship, thereby dismantling traditional gender roles and stereotypes.
Nevertheless, gender biases in technology remain widespread, leading to the underrepresentation of women in technical roles. It is crucial for organizations to tackle this disparity. By ensuring women have equal access to knowledge and opportunities, organizations can play their part by helping foster a more inclusive and technically skilled global community.