August is Women’s Month in South Africa and a time when we pause to honour the women who paved the way, who stood in the face of injustice and said no more. It’s a time to reflect on the legacy of the 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 and on the generations of women who ,since, have fought; taught, and led with courage.
But Women’s Month is not just about the past. It’s about now. It’s about the women showing up every day; in classrooms, in offices, in clinics, in homes who are lifting others as they climb.
We know that an empowered woman is an educated woman. And at Trulife we’ve seen first-hand how education becomes the spark that ignites change. It unlocks opportunities, changes how a young girl sees herself, and gives her tools to shape her future with agency, with voice, and with vision.
It’s not just about books and marks. It’s about belonging, becoming, and believing.
Education gives girls a fighting chance in systems that often count them out. It gives them language for their dreams, and the tools to get there. And most powerfully it shows them they are not alone.
Many of us can think of a woman who changed our lives just by believing in us – a teacher who saw potential when we couldn’t, a mentor who encouraged us to keep going, a big sister or aunt or grandmother who told us stories that reminded us where we come from and how far we can go.
This month, we think about the impact education has had on women. For many learners, a teacher is the first empowered woman they meet. She is the first to say, “You can do this.” The first to ask, “What do you think?” The first to open the door to possibility.
We see this in the legacy of Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who began her career as a teacher and rose to become South Africa’s first female Deputy President, and later Executive Director of UN Women. Her voice remains a global call for gender equality and girls’ education. When young girls see women in leadership in education, it expands their sense of what’s possible. It tells them: you belong in spaces of leadership too.
We see it in Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, the dynamic former Vice-Chancellor of UCT, a mathematics powerhouse who broke barriers in academia and challenged stereotypes about who belongs in leadership.
We see it in Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, a global advocate for sexual and reproductive rights who reminds girls that their education, health, and autonomy matter and in Nal’ibali’s Jade Jacobsohn, who champions reading as a superpower for young children, especially girls.
We look back and honour women like Charlotte Maxeke, South Africa’s first Black woman graduate and a tireless advocate for education, and Albertina Sisulu, a nurse, teacher and liberation leader who helped shape a generation of thinkers and fighters.
Each of these women, whether in policy, in the classroom, or in their communities, remind us that educating the girl child is one of the most powerful investments a society can make. When a girl is educated, it’s not just her life that changes. It’s her family. Her community. Her future children. Her economy. Her world.
This Women’s Month, we encourage every learner, educator, and partner in our Trulife community to stay curious about the world. Learn from the women around you. Ask the hard questions. Keep wondering. Keep growing. Keep showing up.
Curiosity is where change begins.
And as we continue to walk alongside schools and young people through workshops, curriculum development and real conversations, we are reminded daily that real empowerment is a collective effort. It takes community. It takes role models. It takes belief. It takes brave women and those who back them.
So here’s to the powerhouse women in education – the ones building classrooms where minds open and hearts are seen.
Here’s to the girls sitting in those classrooms – watching, wondering, and becoming.
And here’s to all of us – doing the work, together.
Happy Women’s Month. Keep rising. Keep reaching. We’re with you.
