To celebrate Women’s month and Oliver Tambo’s championing of women’s rights, the Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation, with support from the Department of Science and Technology, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung and the Thabo Mbeki Foundation hosted a cross-generational Women’s month dialogue, addressing issues faced by women today and in Oliver Tambo’s time.
Opening the event, the CEO of the Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation, Ms Linda Vilkazi welcomed the audience and described the event as a celebration of an icon who made sacrifices in to ensure that we have the freedom we enjoy today. Engaged by the facilitator Athambile Mosala, the older panellists, Mam’Gertrude Shope and Frene Ginwala shared anecdotes of OR, speaking about how he encouraged women to stand up and grab opportunities. Nana Ngobese, Thandiwe Matthews and Sarah Mokwebo talked about the issues faces by women today – how despite the strides made by older generations, women are still fighting for respect and recognition.
A common message across the panel was that women should not wait for the world to open any more than it has – rather they should grab what they want, as no one is going to give it to them on a silver platter. While strides have been made in the emancipation of women, it is still up to them to recognise their value and worth, and to proclaim their own victories.
Closing the event, Blackboard Africa recited a poem by Koleka Putuma.
Here is the link to the video of the event.
23 August 2017
Market Theatre, Newtown