During a momentous Women’s Month celebration, Unisa, through the Unisa Women’s Forum (UWF) and in partnership with the South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID), hosted the 2025 Feroza Adam Memorial Lecture and the Unisa Women of the Year Awards. The event, held on 8 August 2025, and themed "HerStory: Navigating and resisting entrenched change", highlighted the courage shown by the women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 in fighting for gender justice.

The event was graced by prestigious women leaders, including Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, former Chairperson of the African Union and renowned politician, and Ambassador Thenjiwe Mtintso, recipient of the 2025 OR Tambo Lifetime Achievement Award.

In her welcome and opening address, Prof Puleng LenkaBula, Unisa’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor (VC), expressed her appreciation to the audience for gathering to celebrate Feroza Adam, a stalwart of South Africa’s liberation struggle. She remarked: "The 1956 women’s march was not just a protest, but a powerful demonstration of unity, purpose and strength. Women from diverse South African backgrounds came together to stand against the injustices of apartheid."

The VC also acknowledged that the phrase "You strike a woman, you strike a rock" became a resonant symbol of the resilience and power of women in the struggle for freedom. "The 1956 women struck the entrenched systems of patriarchy, racism and sexism," said LenkaBula. "They did this against the backdrop of a brutal crackdown by the apartheid police and security agencies."

Additionally, LenkaBula said that it was befitting to commemorate Adam, as she was a fighter for change against a discriminatory system that subjected women to unspeakable horrors, some of which persist today. Speaking on women’s capabilities, the VC asserted that the aim is not just to have women in leadership, but for women to lead as social agents to bring about transformative impact in societies.

Click here to read Prof LenkaBula's full address.

Women are stronger when united

Keynote speaker, Cheryl Carolus, Executive Chairperson of Peotone Group Holdings and former South African High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, urged women not to devalue Women’s Day, as it is a reminder of the hardship that resilient women of 1956 endured to build what other women have today. "These women protested against the oppressive pass laws and challenged the oppression against women for the sake of future generations." Carolus further lauded the women who participated in creating the South African Constitution, which is underpinned by laws and policies that promote democracy and human rights.

Cheryl Carolus, Executive Chairperson of Peotone Group Holdings, and former South African High Commissioner to the United Kingdom

Carolus described Adam as a remarkable human being, whose loss is felt as she still had a lot to give to society. She said: "Through this lecture, we reflect and draw inspiration from her life". Carolus added: "Feroza fought against systems that disrespected and undermined women, and she believed that women were stronger when they were united in their diversity".  For her, Adam was at the forefront of building non-racial, inter-faith community organisations that resisted patriarchy, despite how difficult it was to achieve that.

"Today, we still need strong women's organisations that can advocate for the inclusion of women in different spheres," she continued. "Despite our diversity, we need to stand together to achieve the common goal of advancing women’s rights. We need to be vigilant as we rebuild women’s structures." Carolus also urged women to avail themselves to serve in leadership positions to advance the fight against gender inequality and gender injustice.

Acknowledging imbokodos’ power

Among others, the celebratory moment included musical, poetic and cultural acts that narrated women’s stories and the challenges they face, including the gender-based violence (GBV) pandemic. Prof Khanyisile Mbatha, UWF Chairperson, also presented formidable women with Women of the Year Awards in different categories to highlight their resilience and aptitudes.

From left: Karen Solomon (Author, leadership development practitioner and community builder), Tanya Molapo (Chairperson of the Student Representative Council: Unisa Tshwane Region), Yasmin Sooka (SAWID representative and Executive Director of the International Truth and Justice Project) and Rev Bafana Khumalo (Co-executive Director, co-founder and member of the SAWID Board of Trustees)

Further, a thought-provoking panel discussion acknowledged the power that women possess in effecting societal and democratic transformation. Rev Bafana Khumalo, Co-executive Director, co-founder and member of the SAWID Board of Trustees, affirmed that the role that women play in shaping the South African Constitution should not be devalued. Yasmin Sooka, SAWID representative and Executive Director of the International Truth and Justice Project, stated that Adam did not just fearlessly confront apartheid, but she amplified the voices of women.

Tanya Molapo, Chairperson of Unisa’s Student Representative Council in the Tshwane Region, asserted that GBV is aggravated by men who perceive powerful women as threats and are therefore intimidated by them. She added: "Women must be vocal, as silence means we are surrendering to the oppression". Karen Solomon, author, leadership development practitioner and community builder, encouraged women to understand who they are, to know their strengths and purpose, and to tell their own stories, instead of leaving them to others who may narrate them in a distorted manner.

In closing, Dr Sizakele Matlabe, Deputy Chairperson of UWF, remarked: "When women are promoted to leadership positions, they need to practise the spirit of Ubuntu. The emancipation agenda is not over; we still need to fight for our space."

* By Nancy Legodi, Acting Senior Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement
** Photography by Shooheima Champion, Unisa Multimedia Office