THE Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and agrarian Reform recently held its Annual Women
Empowerment programme where MEC Nomakhosazana Meth urged women under her department’s employ to lift each other as they climb up the corporate ladder.
The two-day Women Empowerment programme took place at the East London-based Alexandre Golf course from Thursday to Friday.
According to organiser who is also director for the SPU, Lulama Manitshana the programme is meant to emancipate women and push for gender equality within and beyond the work space.
Addressing the attendees who came from all districts of province, MEC Meth said in many instances women were the stumbling blocks on each other’s progress.
Meth vehemently denounced the ‘pull her down’ syndrome which she said was prevalent among women.
“As slow as it may be but the government is working tirelessly to eliminate inequality across all spheres of life and this is evident through the ongoing changes in our policies.
But even us, ourselves, need to come to the party and become wheels of the change they want to see
“The system was anchored on patriarchy and it is us the victims who need to unite, stand up and speak in one women voice as women stop pulling each other down so a selected few can climb up and join the men up there,” said Meth.
Newsletter 12 October 2020 DRDAR women told to lift as they rise.
She said the issue of gender oppression could no longer be put on ice.
“Let’s lift each other up as we rise. We are in this together and we must fight for equality where everyone
–men and women- are able to grow in the workplace based on merit not because we want to meet a quota.
This starts with respecting the cleaner and the woman who makes you coffee and clean your office. Create an
environment where that cleaner can become the HOD in the next five years,” said Meth.
Bulelwa Lusaseni who delivered a motivational talk on the day echoed Meth’s sentiments and encouraged women to be ‘fixers’of each other’s crown.
She said the apparent division among women was a coping mechanism to male dominance.
“Women have resorted to dropping the things that seem to weigh them down so they can fly high to the top and unfortunately those ‘things’ that seem to be weighing them down are fellow women.
Let’s uplift one another because we only have ourselves,” said Lusaseni.
The empowerment session took place on a flamboyant gala dinner fashion with strict observation of the COVID-19 regulations.