A call to action to empower future captains of industry

Global leader in insurance broking and risk management, Marsh Africa, recently hosted a luncheon for its female clients who serve in leadership positions. The Top Women’s Executive luncheon which was held at the Longmeadow function venue was held in celebration of Women’s Month which recognises the success, struggles and stories of women in South Africa who have made the country what it is today.

“This year being the 59th anniversary of the historic event when on the 9th of August 1956 over 200 000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the extension of pass laws to women, we created a platform which brings together our colleagues in industry to celebrate their achievements as well as to reflect on how their own success can make a remarkable difference into developing young girls into future captains of industry,” explains Salma Kidd, Head of Marketing and Communications for Marsh Africa.

By virtue of being multiple role players who serve society as mothers, academics, professionals and leaders, the women at the event discussed how with privilege comes great responsibility and they have agreed to work together to not only empower each other but to also come together as a collective to invest in the future of young girls.

Marsh Africa also asked all the participants attending the event to bring along a handbag filled with a cosmetic item they could not do without on a day to day basis. Marsh Africa will donate these items on their behalf to a local women’s organisation who assists previously disadvantaged or abused women so that they too can feel special and appreciated this women’s month.

Further, media personality and Caring 4 Girls ambassador, Gerry Elsdon, who was MC for the day, led an auction which raised much needed funds for the Caring 4 Girls initiative. Passionately citing her own story of growing up in a household with four other women and sharing one pack of sanitary towels, Elsdon explained how sanitary towels are a need and not a luxury, “it is unacceptable that young girls miss up to three months of school annually because of the indignity of not having sanitary towels.”

Caring 4 Girls is a sanitary towels distribution programme aimed at keeping young girls in school during their monthly cycles. The programme focuses on creating awareness on puberty and adolescence, and in the process demystifies all menstrual related myths.

“We are all aware of the saying ‘wathinta abafazi wathinta imbhokodo (you strike a woman, you strike a rock)’ and nothing could be truer than what happens when a group of women come together to help make a sustainable impact in the lives of others. Marsh Africa is proud to have facilitated this process and we look forward to supporting future endeavours which emanate from it,” concludes Kidd.

For more information visit: africa.marsh.com

Issued by:
Karen Cooper
PR Worx
011 896-1818
karen@prworx.co.za

On behalf of:
Salma Kidd
Head of Marketing and Communications
011 060-7341