“We Stand With Women” — Rise With Her, Fight With Her: Safety Is Her Right
It may not be International Women’s Day or National Women’s Day, but at Image at Work we are standing with other companies and institutions in calling for justice for women facing abuse in South Africa. This comes amid growing national concern over the rising number of femicides across the country.
This past week, purple has dominated South African social media as part of a campaign to raise awareness about gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) ahead of the G20 Women’s Shutdown by Women for Change.
We’re not affiliated with any organisation in this initiative, but we believe it’s important to speak up. As a female-led company with about 40% women in our workforce, silence in this case would go against what late author, Dambudzo Marechera reminded us: “Silence is a war against one’s self,” as we’ll be endorsing our deprivation of their contribution.
The role women play at Image at Work is substantial and exemplifies the effectiveness of women in all spheres of life. Any form of unjust treatment toward them ultimately undermines growth across various sectors. In business terms, women are fundamental to our country’s economic progress. Though some of their work, especially in the home, may go unnoticed, it remains the support structure for wider economic activity. Here are key contributions women make to economic growth:
Women play a vital role in the South African economy as business owners, accounting for nearly 22% of all businesses and demonstrating strong growth in entrepreneurship.
They further contribute by taking on leadership roles, with women holding senior management positions in roughly 29% of companies and making notable progress in fields such as Human Resources and Finance.
Additionally, women play a crucial role in the informal economy through micro-enterprises that support job creation and uplift communities.
Women’s contributions extend well beyond these areas, with clear influence in sectors like law, healthcare, and many others. They must be protected not just for their role in society’s progress, but because their lives and well-being are inherent rights.
While there are numerous ways to stand in solidarity with women in their struggles, the Purple Movement found us already in purple, which coincidentally happens to be our business colour. We have therefore chosen to lie down for 15 minutes at 12 midday and wear black as our way of participating in the initiative and communicating our message to the appropriate authorities.