A gallery of South Africa and Africa’s powerful women leaders gathered at the Marriott Hotel in Melrose Arch for the International Women’s Forum of South Africa’s (IWFSA) acclaimed Hall of Femme Awards.
Punctuated by powerful speeches, good food and music the awards sent a very strong message that the country and the continent is in the hands of the right women.
The star-studded affair hosted by one media mogul, Basetsana Khumalo alongside Nozipho Tshabalala was attended by former first ladies, Zanele Mbeki, Namibia's Monica Geingos, former minister Naledi Pandor and retail giant, Wendy Ackerman as well as IWFSA president, Nolitha Fakude.
Ackerman, Pandor and Geingos were the stars of the elegant evening as they were each celebrated as part of the IWFSA’s Hall of Femme Awards.
These powerful women were indicted into the Hall of Femme for their impactful contributions to society in their respective endeavours.
In what could easily be the best speech of the night, Ackerman regaled her peers about her journey to the top saying as a young mother she left her children to go study marketing and even though at school, she never thought herself to be bright, her love for reading kept her in check.
“Over the years, and I am saying this with all humility, I have done my best to fight to get ahead. I have been asked to do all kinds of unbelievable things. Whether it was changing a tyre when it burst I knew what to do. I never said, oh I can't do this or I do not know how to do that. Ladies, there is nothing, you can't do...I can say with humility that I was a terrible student at school, but I loved reading and would read just about any book but when I got to university, I suddenly realised that how privileged for the education I got and at that point, I dedicated myself to fighting for two things that is equal education and my biggest fight to this very day is against prejudice,” she said.
Geingos who was also remarkable during her acceptance speech revealed some of the last moments with her husband and former head of state, Hage Geingob who died early this year adding that women should not be afraid to lead just because everyday they are made to feel small.
“As a woman you get asked the question: who do you think you are? That question is meant to make you feel smaller. That question is often followed by insults. These insults are not thrown at the individual women, they are being thrown at all of us because they are trying to say to all of us who do you think you are,’ she said.
Pandor who recently renounced her career as an MP was as vintage as ever when she indicated that all her life she has fought for justice and women empowerment.
“My family believed that girls are the ones who must get an education. The reason was that my father did not want us to be dominated by any male individual, so it was important that girls took education seriously...As women in positions of power we must fight and if you have influence, particularly on the issues of empowerment and development, educational opportunity do not forget to ask the gender question because I always did,’ she urged.
The Star
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