Lisa Isaacs
A GROUP of young girls were given an opportunity to sit in the president’s chair, as they celebrated Bring a Girl Child to Work Day with Minister for Women in the Presidency Susan Shabangu and Miss South Africa Liesl Laurie at Parliament yesterday.
Now in its 13th year, the initiative gives girls around the country the opportunity to visit a place of work and experience career opportunities available to them.
“We come from a society which did not recognise women. One of the weaknesses we have as a country is that there are certain sections of professions where we don’t find women getting into because it was said no, as a women you can only become a nurse, a teacher or a social worker. Now the sky is the limit,” Shabangu said.
“This is the very first time we have come to Parliament. It’s beautiful, it’s educating,” said 16-year-old Vuyohazi Mbana, from Walmer High School in Woodstock.
“We come from a place where the majority of our youth is pregnant and doing drugs. So when opportunities like this presents itself, you grab it. It’s like a dream and those are the things that can save us from the places we come from,” said Mbana, who liveS in Gugulethu.
“This is a big opportunity for us because this is the place we see on TV to make this come together, it gives us hope. Looking at our elder women doing this, we can find inspiration,” she added.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane said the country could do with more women as MPs
“It would be a lot less loud, it would be more controlled. There will be less points of order,” he joked after bumping into the girls on their tour of the Parliament precinct.
“Despite whatever obstacle you face, please do your best. It’s not the obstacles we come from, it’s the resolution to say we can make it.
“All I ask you to do is commit. Finish school, and whatever opportunities there are, seize them. So that we can stand up one day and say maybe in this class here, who knows, we may have our first female president here,” he said.
Laurie said it was important for girls to be exposed to an environment which may have previously been far removed from them.
“They get to see that it takes hard work and dedication to get here. It ignites sparks in many girls. These are our future leaders,” she said.
Other events were hosted around the city to mark the day, including events in some courts to teach the girls how the law worked. Girls also visited the public protector’s office.