On Mandela day this year, I was a panellist at the Gender Equality and Empowerment Panel for Girls event hosted by Angel Rock Project South Africa , in Johannesburg. Angel Rock Project, founded and directed by Malaak Compton-Rock, is an on-line e-village promoting volunteerism, social responsibility, and sustainable change. The site serves as a pathway for those seeking pertinent information on how to lead a life of service.
The Panel for Girls had over 200 vulnerable youth (high school boys and girls) from Diepsloot in Johannesburg, South Africa. As I listened to some of their contributions, I felt humbled and challenged by their incisiveness, strength in the face of numerous vulnerabilities and eagerness to share and engage in this intergenerational space. Here I thought I was going to ‘teach’ and encourage the girls to see the possibilities of a future beyond their current circumstances and aspire for greatness; and I ended up the one learning from and inspired by them! As we commemorate South Africa Women’s Month, the engagements on that day remind me of profound lessons from three Africans that inspire me; Nelson Mandela, Thomas Sankara and Graça Machel. They have served as reflection points and catalysed actions of courage to many Africans, and globally, and I hope African girls and women can draw nuggets from these too.
- Play to the greatness that is in you
“There is no passion to be found in playing small; in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living,” – Nelson Mandela
Every individual is born with innate potential. While the life circumstances within which we are nurtured influence and shape who and what we may become as we grow, our dreams, passions and capabilities also shape who we become. Dreaming beyond one’s current real and perceived boundaries is a key ingredient to breaking those boundaries and pursuing individual and collective aspirations towards living a thriving and fulfilling life. It is vital to recognise, value and take hold of the power you have to chart your life’s journey, and not ‘settling for a life that less than the one you are capable of living. Education is a key to unlocking dreams and building agency, knowledge and capabilities to bring those dreams to life. Have a ‘good head’, ‘literate tongue’ and ‘pen’ (Nelson Mandela), which is a formidable combination of assets for life.
- Building new realities needs new ways of being
“You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. In this case, it comes from nonconformity, the courage to turn your back on the old formulas, the courage to invent the future,” – Thomas Sankara
Societies have diverse social norms and cultures that define expectations and may draw limits for people. These social often have greater bearing on women and girls. Many of us carry conscious and unconscious biases from this, that influence our choices for ourselves positively and negatively. This includes how the world engages with us as women and girls, and how we engage with our world. Conformity and non-conformity come with pros and cons. However, as we thirst for transformation and not just reform in breaking down barriers that still inhibit women and girls at social and economic level, conformity and acceptance of social norms just because they have been with us since time immemorial, will not bring the change we want and need to see. Building a more inclusive future requires that we break down barriers. One has to have the will and the skills to forge ahead. Dare to be who you want and need to be by being the captain of your own life ship.
- Be the Champion of your dreams and aspirations
“There is vast potential to be tapped in the dreams, aspirations, abilities and determination of girls and young women, so that they can become the driving force of their own transformation,” – Graça Machel
The Second Liberation is a drive the Graça Machel Trust is committed to, in advancing social and economic opportunities for women and girls as part of our contributing to the Sustainable Development Goal of gender equality by 2030. It is about creating opportunity and the power of choice. We build Networks that provide social capital and connectedness for women and girls to leverage as stepping stones to draw power and pivot on. These are Networks within which we can stand on the shoulders of giants who have blazed trails before and for us. We recognise to pursue and realise our dreams, we need to create positive and supported paths to womanhood, a lifelong journey in itself; through building networks for individual and collective growth across generations.
Happy South Africa Women’s Month, may every woman and girl thrive, harness their individual and collective potential towards greatness; regardless of where we are born!
Let’s multiply our faces and amplify our voices as African women and girls.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.