August is a time in South African history when we look back at the incredible women who have shaped our society - a month of celebration which was sparked by the brave acts of phenomenal women such as Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams. 

As a country plagued by atrocities against women, it has become more apparent as a university what role we play within the empowerment space and in addressing the issues of toxic masculinity within the context of the livelihood and progression of our women. 

For the month of August, the UWC Alumni Office embarked on a mission to gather some of their great and influential alumnae across different sectors to speak about their challenges within their work space and how they have overcome adversity. 

As part of the Young Alumni Virtual Series, this talk on Gender equity and access to a changing world of work had an aim of sparking hope within the hearts and minds of our young alumnae, especially those entering the workforce and those presented with the challenges of navigating current patriarchal systems whilst climbing the corporate ladder.

Issues such as empowerment, mentorship and passion in one's career path were discussed at length by our esteemed panel, which included: Professor Vivienne Lawack, UWC DVC: Academic, as moderator; Lillian Barnard: CEO of Microsoft SA; Nicolette Naylor: International Programmes Director: Gender, Racial & Ethnic Justice at Ford Foundation; and, Tracey Ashington: Recruitment Specialist. 

As women in empowered positions, the idea of taking up space and standing your ground as women with voices that need to and should be heard was one of the main takeaways from this discussion, as well as a life lesson to our attending audience of young alumnae. 

Click here to view a recording of this webinar. 

For more information, please contact the alumni office at alumni@uwc.ac.za. 

As we conclude this Alumni Virtual Series, the Alumni Relations Office hopes that we have addressed the many issues that currently confront our young alumni. Please reach out to us if you believe there are other topics of interest that are pertinent to you and that you would like to hear about in the future. 

Don’t forget to update your details to receive communication from our office, and follow @uwcalumni on social media.