Women gather for a day of self-discovery and empowerment

The inaugural Empower, Inspire, and Transform women’s empowerment event, hosted by Elize Mathane, brought together 100 women for a day of reflection, healing, and inspiration. The gathering aimed to encourage women to prioritise their well-being, embrace their self-worth, and stand as pillars of strength in their homes and communities.

Mathane, who spearheaded the initiative without external funding, explained her motivation: “A lady is the centrepiece of her house, and when that centrepiece burns out, everything collapses. I wanted the ladies to realise that if you don’t look after yourself, everything around you is going to fall apart, including you.”

She shared that the event was born out of her own struggles with burnout, realising that many women in her community faced similar battles. “A lady must make time for herself, prioritise herself. That’s why I thought of getting ladies together – to show them that they need to care for themselves.”

The programme featured a line-up of inspiring guest speakers. Optometrist Carla van der Merwe from Sport in Sight spoke about finding one’s identity in Christ, urging women to move away from worldly distractions. Dr Queen Ramoraswi encouraged resilience, while Pastor Abigail Rosenberg and her team addressed the importance of mental health and self-care.

The main speaker of the day, Reneal Davids, shared her message titled "Discovering the Diamond in You." She reflected on how scars and hardships shape rather than disqualify a person. “There are two things you cannot escape – your day of death and your past,” she reminded the audience. Drawing from her own journey of losing her father, a baby through stillbirth, and later her mother, Davids showed how pain can become the starting point for transformation. “Every scar is a place where light can break through you and let your facet shine,” she said.

The event also included voices from women who have faced different kinds of hardship. Chantelle, a parolee, gave a moving testimony about how prison, though lonely, became a place of healing. “I went in broken but came out whole as a new person,” she said, highlighting the resilience of women even in the most difficult circumstances.

Beyond empowerment, the event carried a strong charitable mission. Funds raised will be used to support children in the community who lack school uniforms, while sanitary towels and soap will be distributed to correctional services and schools. “We cannot take away poverty, but we can change the lives of households around us by giving what we can,” Mathane said. “We need to look out for each other and lighten the burden of poverty.”

For Mathane, this was only the beginning. With plans already underway, she announced that her second event will take place in Barkly West this October, aligned with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This time, she hopes to secure sponsorships to broaden the impact of her vision.

“This is my first event, and it really went well. With my second, I’ll be looking for big sponsors,” she said with determination.

The success of Empower, Inspire, and Transform has already sparked hope that more women will come together, share their stories, and find strength in each other.