Her Background
Welcome to Women & Girls Changemakers South Africa. A platform designed to
harness the power of Women and Girls from all walks of life,
foster unity and
solidarity, advance her to lead and develop her to effectively contribute towards
rebuilding healthier,
better functioning, inclusive and equal societies.
Some of the biggest problem’s women have been facing for centuries and still do, are:
The
Lack of Women in Leadership Roles| Low Levels of Women’s Empowerment | Patriarchy | Not
enough Women at the Table
| Lack of Social Support | Socio-Economic Inequality | Gender
Based-Violence | Access to Equal Opportunity
| The Lack of Respect for Caregiving | Navigating
Career and Motherhood and Often the primary or joint breadwinner.
The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2019 reveals that 1.3 billion people live in multidimensional
poverty and these people
are located in two regions, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Poverty levels are
measured across 10 indicators: Nutrition, Child Mortality, Years of Schooling, School Attendance, Cooking
Fuel, Sanitation,
Drinking Water, Electricity, Housing and Assets. The picture looks even more gloomy with
the Global Poverty
Gap between Women and Men which is now widening amid the COVID-19 pandemic
with women aged 25 to 34
being the hardest hit and as a result, young families suffer significantly through
this.
Women & Girls Changemakers South Africa is on a mission to change the narrative and to balance the
power in leadership through
several activities and programmes to support the development of women and
young girls with the needed skills and tools
that will increase their opportunity to lead, employment and
enable women-led businesses.
South Africa’s National Development Plan outlines the target of creating 11
million jobs by 2030,
Women and Girls will champion half of the target!
Women & Girls Changemakers South Africa is on a mission to change the narrative and to balance the
power in leadership
through several activities and programmes to support the development of women and
young girls with the needed skills and tools
that will increase their opportunity to lead, employment and
enable women-led businesses.
South Africa’s National Development Plan outlines the target of creating 11 million jobs by 2030
Women
and Girls will champion half of that target!
Her Vision
Where women & girls are enabled and supported to lead and contribute to building and developing healthier societies and a thriving economy.
Her Mission
To build capacity for Women & Girls through successful implementation of accredited learning programmes, workshops - networking with Government Departments, Private Sector Businesses and Non-Profit Organisations that are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and National Development Plan objectives.
Our Values
Her values are built on the foundation of “Ubuntu – I am Her because We are Her”. She is passionate about celebrating diversity, celebrating her in all her authenticity and all that she resonates with deeply and uniquely. She is also committed to building bridges across cultures, communities, and faiths as they will be the rivers of collaboration to rebuild better. She cherishes the values of trust, transparency, tolerance, and teamwork, for those pillars are vital to building & sustaining co-creation and existence. She is committed to develop and grow, to serve and deliver, to protect and respect and to do right – Integrity for Prosperity.
Our Culture
Her purpose, vision, values, and approach to ethics inform who she is and what she stands for. Her culture is underpinned by the principles of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and by doing right by every woman and girl.
Her Birth
Women & Girls Changemakers South Africa was established 26 May 2019 after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Inaugural address when he asked South Africans to not ask “What it is that my country can do for me but rather what is it that I can do for my country”.
Being a woman in South Africa at the time made it difficult to respond with an enthusiastic will and drive to support the President’s request but the need to change the structural societal challenges we face depended on her to rise. True to the African Proverb that says – “You strike a woman; you strike a rock”.
Women and girls are key to the wellbeing of any society and there is no better time than now to rise and stand on the shoulders of the women that came before us and be the change we wish to see in the world.
“You strike a woman; you strike a rock.”
Her Purpose
When we lift Women and Girls, we lift up families, communities, entire countries. Women and Girls are key to the well-being of any society and when women and girls are empowered, supported, protected, developed, and included, everyone stands to gain. Where women & girls are enabled and supported to lead and contribute to building and developing healthier societies and a thriving economy.
I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard... We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.
We exist because of HER!
She rises when we lift HER!
She becomes successful when we support HER!
She reaches her potential when we protect HER!
She grows when we develop HER!
She becomes better when we empower HER!
She is whole when we include HER!
HER EXISTENCE IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
“Never doubt that you are valuable and powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.” - Hillary Clinton
GOAL 2
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
GOAL 4
Ensure inclusive and equitable education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
GOAL 8
Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
GOAL 9
Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation.
GOAL 14
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
GOAL 15
Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
GOAL 16
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
GOAL 17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
HER LEADERS
A leader most of her life, Melany has over 20 years’ experience in leadership practices, skills development,
business,
financial management and business administrative skills gained while working in the Financial
Sector.
After leaving the Financial Sector, she pursued a journey as an entrepreneur and applied to join a
programme designed to
develop Social Entrepreneurs. She became the Winner of the 2018 Impact Hub
Launchpad Programme for Social Entrepreneurs,
she committed to share the knowledge and skills she
developed through this journey by empowering other women and girls with the same tools.
She is now
harnessing her experience as well as expertise to develop a powerful tribe of women and girls’ leaders.
She believes there is no better time to provide the support, education and tools to women and girls to
tackle their most pressing issues
and to ensure that the current and next generation of Women Leaders
in South-Africa flourish and fulfil their potential.
Women and girls are powerful agents of change. The Heartbeat of Women and Girls Changemakers SA
consist of a tribe leading and committed
to create a more equal and healthier society. The tribe is from
different generational, ethnicity and cultural backgrounds and they head up different
structures within
the organisation, all steered towards creating a prosperous world for all.
Together we hope to influence and inspire many more women and girls through this platform to take up space and lead.
