The inaugural Salaamedia Womens’ Leadership Symposium delivered empowering insights on women’s leadership and their contribution to society. The event, held on Sunday at Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg, saw guest speakers touch on a range of pertinent topics.
One of the leading guest speakers, entrepreneur Poppy Kabini, spoke on the need for the empowerment of women in business. Also present was activist Anisa Mazimpaka, who reflected on the contributions of pioneering females in Islam and disentangling cultural biases from religion.
“I always encourage people who want to go into business to go and get educated on how to start and run a successful business. To become a doctor you have to go to medical school; to become whatever it is that you want to become, you have to go to school first,” said Poppy Kabini. She is an entrepreneur, PR specialist and business coach.
Meanwhile, Anisa Mazimpaka, a prominent student activist, highlighted the issues faced by young women in a largely patriarchal society. She also called for the disentanglement of cultural biases from religion.
“One thing that really irks me is this clash of culture and religion – especially when it comes to Islam – where we tend to hide away the girl child and say that you should not be in the forefront. However, Islam is very clear on the role of women,” she said.
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Womens’ Leadership Symposium and empowering women in business
One of the highlights of the Womens’ Leadership Symposium was the discussion on empowering women to create successful businesses. Poppy Kabini explained that a lack of knowledge threatened the viability of female start-ups.
“The problem [entrepreneurs] just want to wake up and become successful and it doesn’t work like that. You have to get proper training on how to start, manage and run a successful business,” she said.
Kabini started her own business out of a need to fund her studies and lifestyle when she left her parents’ home. She began manufacturing earrings and handbags, which she sold for a living.
Some time later, Kabini found herself at a job she hated, with all the ambition to become a businesswoman but none of the skills. She eventually pursued training after realising that her start-ups failed.
“I didn’t have any financial management skills. I just had this dream of being a businesswoman one day, but then all of the businesses that I started would fail [because] I didn’t know how to spend my money, I didn’t know how to grow my business [and] I didn’t know how to market my business,” she said.
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Women, culture and religion
The audience at the Womens’ Leadership Symposium warmly received the passionate address by education activist Anisa Mazimpaka. Among other challenges facing women, Mazimpaka highlighted cultural biases that flourish under the guise of religion.
She recalled an experience in high school, when female learners were barred from attending a university open day.
“I remember my sister, who was a couple of grades above me, where a male Muslim teacher actually told them something like ‘you don’t need to go to university’. This is the stage where schools take their students to open days and he said ‘as females you don’t need to do this because you don’t need to be educated’ and it got to such a point that only the males were taken for this experience,” she said.
Mazimpaka said Islam was clear on the role of women in society and that this should not be diluted with cultural biases.
“The legacy and the contributions that Muslim women made to Islam, as scholars, jurists, rulers, warriors, businesswomen and legal experts… we have the story of Khadija (R.A) and she was a very successful businesswoman. However, the problem comes when women are relegated – to say that this is where you belong and this is the only place you belong – but take up your space and own it,” she said.
