The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) came alive this week as women leaders gathered for a dialogue dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements and tackling the persistent inequalities they continue to face across different fields.
The event, held under the theme Empowering Women and Being Voices of Change: What Are We Doing as Women in Leadership to Empower Other Women? brought together voices from politics, academia, business, and community leadership.
It was attended by high-profile figures including the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi; Executive Mayor of Sedibeng District Municipality, Councillor Lerato Maloka; vice-chancellor of the Central University of Technology, Professor Pamela Dube; and VUT’s own executive leadership, alongside members of council, senate, and student representatives.
The panel discussion moderated by Maureen Rathapo featured Dr Mukondeleli Kanakana-Katumba, deputy vice-chancellor for Teaching and Learning at VUT; Professor Christa Grobler, executive dean of the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences at VUT; Letitia de Wet, chief executive officer of Enactus South Africa; and Nthanyiseni Dhumazi, chief financial officer at VUT.
Delivering a keynote address, Kubayi called for women leaders to use their positions of influence to dismantle systemic barriers and create opportunities for others.
“As we celebrate women who, against all odds, have managed to climb up the social ladder, we must more vigorously fight to break the unnecessary barriers they had to overcome,” Kubayi said.
“Let us adopt an approach that says with privilege comes responsibility. When we are given an opportunity to lead, we must understand that we have a responsibility to be agents of change. Our efforts as individuals can move the needle only so far; the work to achieve gender equality requires that we challenge the frameworks of power and change the rules to ensure women benefit.”
Kubayi warned, however, that despite progress, women remain under-represented in key decision-making spaces.
“Statistics show that self-employed women are more likely to be in the informal sector, while self-employed men are predominantly in the formal sector. The unemployment rate for women remains higher than that of men, with Black African women still the most vulnerable.”
She further noted that in 2025, unemployment among women aged 25–34 stood at 56.7% compared to 49.6% for men. “These figures are sobering,” she said. “They remind us that much more still needs to be done to ensure true gender parity.”
VUT vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Khehla Ndlovu, underscored the urgency of the dialogue’s theme, describing it as both a challenge and a mirror to society.
“This theme is more than a statement,” he said.
“It is a challenge. It is a mirror held up to our society, asking each of us, women and men alike, whether we are doing enough to ensure that leadership is not a lonely journey for women but a collective ascent, where one woman’s rise lights the path for many others.”
He emphasised that VUT’s Strategy 2033+ is rooted in transformation, inclusivity, and social impact. “When we create spaces for women to lead, to innovate, and to shape institutional culture, we are not merely ticking boxes of representation. We are enriching the very fabric of leadership. Our commitment is to nurture an environment where women thrive because the system itself is designed to affirm and elevate them.”
Kanakana-Katumba, sharing her journey in engineering, recalled the challenges of working in a male-dominated field where even basic facilities for women were lacking.
“There were no toilets for women when I first entered the field,” she said.
Dhumazi, also reflecting on her upbringing in Limpopo, spoke of her early career struggles. “I had to work hard to prove myself, and I made a decision that I was not going to allow anybody to look down on me just because I was a woman or younger than them. My parents taught that.”
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star