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Herald Reporter
Women must take advantage of various gender equality initiatives by breaking biases in their own minds.

This was said by gender equality champion and former Professional and Business Women (PROWEB) executive director Mrs Sithabile Mangwengwende while speaking a luncheon to celebrate women hosted by a local corporate.

“On 8 March, we celebrate International Women’s Day. Each year there is a powerful theme. There are many policies and activities to empower women in the equality drive.

So the question we must ask now is why we continue to have women still not getting fair equity in all spheres?” said Mrs Mangwengwende.

She said female leaders who are benefitting from the various initiatives must follow Oprah Winfrey’s wise words and send the elevator down by giving opportunity to other women.

“But in some cases you find the woman at the top is actively suppressing others because she wants to be outstanding,” said Mrs Mangwengwende.

She also urged woman on their way up to support female leaders so that women break the bias of gender biased pull her down syndrome.

Also speaking at the same occasion, Fossil Contracting director Mrs Lerato Chimuka said that women need to be conscious of societal nurturing biases within themselves which limit them from reaching for the sky.

We have been working to develop women at Fossil Group. Most of the women come in as general hands. Through training an growth programmes of HR they becomeskilled workers taking up positions such as foremen and operators,” said Mrs Chimuka.

Mrs Chimuka says Fossil Contracting started out with just one female engineer as the only skilled woman in operations.

Today the construction giant has three engineers, two women in the workshop, six heavy machine operators, one foreman, two quantity surveyors, one land surveyor and 117 general hands.

Fossil Agro started with one woman and now has nine women including two agronomists.
Fossil Group hosted the luncheon at Meikles for its female employees as part of its empowerment programme.

The women also got to hear a frank health talk from Dr Mbiriri who urged them to take control of their reproductive health at all times including within the matrimonial set up.