True to Feroza Adam’s vision of lifting other women, the Unisa Women’s Forum held the 23^rd Feroza Adam Memorial Lecture on 12 August 2022, themed "Realising Women’s Rights for an Equal Future #Women Breaking the Glass Ceiling". This annual gathering not only epitomises Feroza’s vision, but also celebrates the significant achievements of women who have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields through the Women of The Year Awards. This year’s categories were: Transformative Leadership, Significant Achievements, Community Service/Batho Pele, Customer Service, and Courage in Adversity.

Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

This year’s awardees are:

• Prof Miriam Lephalala, College of Human Sciences, Transformative Leadership Award – for mentoring and supporting staff to pursue postgraduation degrees, while also working towards the transformation and empowerment of women in the Department of English Studies.
• Prof Itumeleng Sethlodi, College of Education, Transformative Leadership Award – for her involvement in the scholarship of quality assurance practitioners within Africa and making significant contributions towards a book chapter due for publication in November 2022.
• Dr Dikeledi Petunia Malatji, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Significant Achievements Award – for offering mentorship and career guidance, and marketing Unisa qualifications in high schools.
• Dr Kholofelo Mathlaba, College of Human Sciences, Community Service Award – for her activism in community concerns, and participation in high school projects aimed at empowering young women on health-related issues.
• Dr Violet Matlala Makokotlela, College of Education, Community Service Award – for her passion towards disadvantaged communities, and teaching juveniles at correctional facilities while providing environmental education to minimise climate change aftermaths.
• Mokgadi Joyce Seshibedi, College of Human Sciences,Customer Service Award – for her administrative support of postgraduate students. 

The Customer Service category was extended to include Batho Pele (People First) in honour of exceptional women in the cleaning staff, namely:

• Rebecca Nomashila Skhwethe
• Maala Manyma
• Queen Mongoadi
• Anna Ngobeni
• Nelly Matshepo Kumalo
• Sarah Mamabolo
• Candy Mbatha
• Julia Kumalo
• Gloria Sebela

The certificate of appreciation went to Malebo Mbalati, for fervently marketing and recruiting members into the UWF.

Chairperson of the Unisa Women's Forum, Prof Meahabo Magano

A boisterous cheer welcomed the much-anticipated Courage in Adversity Awards, which went to Rosina Sedibane-Modiba and Nkosikazi Nomandla Dorothy Mhlauli, both highly esteemed for their historical achievements, courage in adversity, and transformative leadership. Chairperson of the UWF, Prof Meahabo Magano, described them as giants of transformation who were courageous in breaking down the glass ceiling.

Keynote speaker, Small Business Development Minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, recognised that there are still many barriers which have marginalised women from owning enterprises, which is why her department, she says, has developed the National Integrated Small Enterprise Masterplan (NISEM), which she says aims at cutting red tape and amending legislation that constrain small and medium businesses in order to reduce the duress women face when getting into small businesses. She also praised the UWF and the Women of the Year awardees for recognising the efforts that women put in magnifying the spirit of Feroza Adams.

South Africa’s Ambassador to Namibia, Thenjiwe Mtintso, encouraged the gathering of women as they did during the formation of the national women’s coalition in 1992, that when women work together, they can make significant achievements towards breaking the glass ceiling.

Mtinso, in describing the ceiling, recalled at one point sitting in late hours in parliament with Feroza Adams, who decided to challenge the timing of the meeting. "Of course, the late hours were very inconvenient for women, because we had to check in at home with the kids, quite remote from home. We asked for the sitting times to be changed. We asked the men: Why do you think the best decisions can be made in the middle of the night, why not in the middle of the day, do you need darkness to make these decisions? To which the men replied: you have got to make choices, you are either a politician or a woman."

Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Puleng LenkaBula, praised the awardees and encouraged them to keep breaking the glass ceiling in order to inspire those coming after them.

South African Ambassador to Namibia, Thenjiwe Mtinso

"For those of us who are deemed to have broken the glass ceiling, it is very important that we do not just cry when the glass shards of the ceiling are harming us, because if you were to cry for too long, women will be afraid to raise their hands for leadership," she said. "We therefore have to be strong, look for allies, friends and ideas, and look for those who have travelled this road before us, so that the young girls and the women who aspire for leadership are not scared, threatened or made to feel less confident in their talents and the work that they do."

* By Godfrey Madibane, Unisa Radio Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement