By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – The Thabo Mofutsanyana council chambers was packed to capacity as a group of young women answered the call to join a session aimed at discussing how to overcome barriers and build bridges for young women in leadership and governance.
Executive mayor Conny Msibi and a group of accomplished women from all walks of life formed part of a panel that spoke to the hearts of the young women gathered at the district council chamber, on November 15, to hammer out ways to overcome issues that young women face in life.
Bontle Mofokeng a young woman from the Youth in Action (YIA) organisation, said the old her wouldn’t have been able to stand before such a huge crowd and speak confidently during her presentation.
“The old me would have been very prejudiced towards myself. I would have felt very uncomfortable presenting in front of everyone, especially seeing that the women on the panel are such accomplished and beautiful women.
“My confidence has grown from receiving the love and support from those close to me. As women we need to encourage each other and teach each other that it all begins with you, self-love is very important because sometimes we expect others to love us more than we love ourselves,” Mofokeng said.
Thabo Mofutsanyana district municipality executive mayor Conny Msibi leading young women imbizo.
Other young women that attended this session had this to say when speaking to The Guard:
“What I take away from this discussion is that it is very important to respect yourself as a woman and not pay too much attention to what other people have to say about you. It is also important to associate yourself with people who will motivate and inspire you to grow as a person and not stick around people who pull you down,” Ntswaki Mosiea from Clubview said.
Ntaoleng Matlaletsa from Monontsa shared the same sentiments as Mosiea when she said:
“I really appreciated the words from all the women who spoke to us during this session and what stood out for me was the part about associating with people who will motivate and inspire you and not to feel under pressure to do things just because other people are doing them. Being content with who I am and what I have and respecting myself is what I walk away with today.
Young women imbizo at Thabo Mofutsanyana district municipality.
Meanwhile, mayor Msibi stated: “After realising that children that are raised by high profile parents face similar challenges when they step into leadership or governance roles, I saw the importance of having this session so that older women can share their stories with younger women in order for them to know how to overcome challenges and traverse on this earth.”
The panellists included the following women from different leadership positions in their communities: Kelebogile Thulo, Khosatsana Puleng Moloi Molaba, Ayanda Msibi Gumede (the mayor’s daughter), Bontle Mofokeng, Mpumi Sibeko and author and motivational speaker Tshili Kabi Mfanta.
