Focus On: Entrepreneurial day to inspire women

GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality’s Department of Community Development is planning a special day for women on 9 August at the Conville Community Hall. The event will focus on entrepreneurship.

Ejustley Boshoff, coordinator of the Gender and Disability subsection, says National Women’s Day is one holiday where women need to be celebrated. Women deserve this, as they juggle so many commitments and responsibilities in their day-to-day lives.

The department aims to host a networking event to empower women who have an interest in entrepreneurship.

“With the current high rate of unemployment, we must look at other sources to make ends meet. Entrepreneurship is part of this empowerment and will change the lives of many,” Boshoff says.

On the day, attendees will be given access to information and resources. Women entrepreneurs, leaders in the field, the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda), George Municipality’s Department of Local Economic Development and other stakeholders will all take part in the event.

Women will have the opportunity to exhibit their products and to give advice to those who are interested in a similar type of business. The day will also be a celebration for women who have had great achievements in their different fields.

Background and history of National Women's Day

National Women's Day is a South African public holiday celebrated annually on 9 August. The day commemorates the 1956 march of approximately 20 000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to petition against the country's pass laws that required South Africans defined as "black" under the Population Registration Act to carry an internal passport, known as a dompas, that served to maintain population segregation, control urbanisation, and manage migrant labour during the apartheid era.

The first National Women's Day was celebrated on 9 August 1994. In 2006, the march was re-enacted for its 50th anniversary, with many of the 1956 march veterans taking part.

This day not only reflects on what happened in 1956, but also celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women thus far. Women's Day is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy, and action.

Having a day to commemorate the history and fights that women have fought is a great way to remember and ensure progress in the future.

Clr Thandiswa Qatana (left) and Ejustley Boshoff, coordinator of the Gender and Disability subsection at George Municipality (at the back) with ladies at a Women’s Day event.