We commemorate Women’s Month in August as a tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. Every August we see women being celebrated and recognised across the country – how do we intentionally celebrate women and the contributions they are making all the time? How do we as women lift each other up all the time not just in August?
Ntate Bonang Mohale states that “the title of his book ‘Lift As You Rise’ is actually an African saying that says you do not have to wait until you are a president, the king, the MD or the CEO of a company before you do greater good.” He further states that Lifting means empowering or emancipating. Rising means gaining power and prestige, but never – in terms of Ubuntu – forgetting where you came from.
With this backdrop, how do we as women become more intentional to lifting other women in the spaces we occupy and not forgetting the communities that fostered us as we were becoming who we are today?
I believe we can only achieve this if we become intentional about it, and always seek opportunities to practise this. We can start by coaching young women at work; mentoring students at schools and universities; supporting friends & family members; creating spaces for women to interact and share experiences. To do this fully we are sometimes required to be vulnerable in a world that places a great deal of emphasis on showing strength, vulnerability can feel like a weakness. When we let our guards down, we give ourselves an opportunity to communicate our true selves while creating the safe space that allows other women to share theirs. When we allow ourselves to be seen—scars and all—we’re able to develop the true intimacy necessary to create long-lasting connections.
As we move to a new month, let us not forget that we can do greater good in the spaces we occupy, all we need to do is show up and be intentional about lifting other women!
“The most beautiful people are those who bring out the beauty in others.”
