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OAO Women, 116 Oxford Rd Melrose Estate, Johannesburg (2026)

02/09/2022

South African Women's Month is over but that does not deter us from celebrating women and their contribution to society.

We pay tribute to the Mother of the Nation, Mama Winnie Mandela.

We admire her strength, courage and dedication to the cause. She dared to take up space during the political struggle against apartheid when most of the other leaders were arrested and imprisoned for life.

She was victimised, imprisoned, exiled and terrorised by the Apartheid Regime, yet she remained steadfast in her fight for freedom. The woman who many love to hate remains a struggle hero, a political icon, the mother of the nation.

"The overwhelming majority of women accept patriarchy unquestioningly and even protect it, working out the resultant frustrations not against men but against themselves in their competition for men as sons, lovers and husbands."

Let us all continue with vigour beyond Women's Month. We do not need to be in a position of power to help. But being able to help puts us in a position of power.

01/09/2022

Today we celebrate Mariam Hoosen marketing consultant at Mindful Matters:

A humble beginning as a switchboard operator in the healthcare sector to Group Marketing & Communication Manager over a 22 year period has afforded me the knowledge, skill set and courage to start my own business.

My appreciation for being recognized by women in the industry for mentorship and talent pool selection was an opportunity I used to up-skill myself while at the same time taking on my tertiary education in Marketing in my thirties. My wisdom and work ethic stems from a strong female influence in the home and workplace which moulded and imparted values that impacted my life during my career. The people I choose to identify as my community of which majority were women, combined have created the person I am today.

Navigating the current world with kindness and positivity can only be achieved when we are centred in our knowing. Self-awareness, personal growth and development are equally important to achieving a new path.

Living your best life and staying firm in your beliefs and values are the best ways you can honour yourself and all those who cultivated your growth and development as a person. Being a door opener doesn’t only mean opening physical doors, but being a living example of teaching with kindness, compassion and truth. Sharing words of encouragement and holding space for the next person. As a way to honour those who came before me, I choose to pay it forward to those who will follow after me.

Share your story and pay homage to the women who have opened doors for you with the Hashtag: .

30/08/2022

Today we celebrate Hani Vahabi of AI Center Sweden:

No one should be kept behind the door. Keeping this slogan in mind, I have always been trying to create an inclusive environment and work culture where everybody feels included and can participate with their full potential.

Being a door opener means being a leader who leads the business towards equality and creates opportunities for those who do not have access.
During my 10 years of running different companies in , I tried to be a door opener for several people. I created an organizational structure and business ecosystem in which people without , , and backgrounds had the opportunity to work in my tech companies. Women who were newcomers to Sweden had the opportunity to work in my companies. They not only had the opportunity to work in a field that they never thought they could but also, they have been part of the decision-making processes.

During my entrepreneurial journey, there have been people who supported me in different ways. Here I name some of them and use this opportunity to express my gratitude:
Vahid Omidi, my husband, was one of the early investors who encouraged me passionately. Reza Moussavi, my thesis supervisor, later become the co-founder of my company. My best friend Rahwa Bahta. And two key people who welcomed me into their office from the very beginning, Kajsa Svensson, and Peter Åhlander. They listened to me, trusted me, and supported me during this journey.

Share your story and pay homage to the women who have opened doors for you with the Hashtag: .

30/08/2022

Today we celebrate Herold, Head of Junior Prep at The Ridge School and International Conscious Discipline® Certified Instructor.

Having studied and worked in education for 25 years, I am a lifelong teacher and learner at my core. The journey of unlearning and re-learning is never complete. When I discovered Conscious Discipline® in 2017, it wrapped words around what my heart knows to be true about how we show up for ourselves first and those around us, and how our children and students learn more from our role-modelling than from our lectures!

I have opened many doors to create jobs for interns, student teachers and class teachers. In 2018, a cleaner at the school had been motivated by sheer observation and interaction with the staff and students. She had found her calling and I was able to help through the Partnership of Hope with the Teacher Learning Centre (TLC). As a staff member at the school, she was granted access to all the resources available to help her succeed. She has been an intern in the Foundation Phase for the last 3 years and her learning has been exponential.

I am grateful to Paul Channon, Dr Becky Bailey, Peter Turner and many others who have opened doors of opportunity for me.

As a recently qualified Gallup Global Strengths Coach, I meet incredible individuals who,for various reasons, are stuck. When they focus on what they are naturally good at, and see how uniquely they think, feel and behave, they are empowered to make meaningful shifts in their life. I also partner with parents who come to me for parent coaching when their children’s behaviour is particularly triggering. One’s perception is a choice, not a fact and by reframing the behaviours it helps parents to see their children differently, to shift the dynamic from power struggle to peace! This is a journey with no endpoint.

Share your story and pay homage to the women who have opened doors for you with the Hashtag:

30/08/2022

Today we celebrate Nunu Mkhwanazi Cleaner at Empact Group:

I lost my parents when I was very young. My grandmother on my paternal side raised my siblings and I. She too passed which changed the course of my life. Through an abusive family member we went through bouts of physical emotional abuse and starvation. This lead to me rebel in my teenage years, often finding myself locked out after late nights.

Being young with a don’t care attitude is dangerous because we are ignorant to the ills of the world. My childhood friend, Ouma Masinga constantly guided me, reminding me of my strong will despite my difficulties. In hindsight, it was her consistent support, encouragement and concern that helped me get my life on track. Through attending a church service which she had suggested, where they prayed for me, I felt peace and contentment beyond comprehension. I was so inspired that I kept on going to church by myself. I was able to change my lifestyle, get a job and found a supportive partner, my pillar to lean on.

He nurtured and encouraged me while teaching me life lessons. I became passionate about doing the same, being the motivator and encourager to others who felt inadequate, or had gone through tough times especially the street kids who suffer from substance abuse; supporting them in ways that I could afford and encouraging them by telling my story. Many of them went on to change their ways and got their lives on a path that has helped them have families of their own and achieve their dreams.

I am most grateful to my friend who never gave up on me, and my husband whom I have been with for the past 25 years and who has loved me when I was at my lowest. My dream of being married and owning a house has been achieved. We have the power to positively impact lives just by the way we live, the manner in which we fail and then rise up again.

Share your story and pay homage to the women who have opened doors for you with the Hashtag: .

26/08/2022

Today we celebrate Monica Rubombora a business owner, coach, and author of seven (7) books, including “Government Tenders Don’t Suck!”:

I have worked in the management and technology consulting field for over fifteen years, both in the corporate environment and when I set up my business. It is a business career option that I did not even know existed, were it not for a few individuals that lifted me at the very moments when I needed a breakthrough.

In the early stages of my working life, I walked out of a job due to frustration with my then-boss. Upon exiting the building, the magnitude of my spur-of-the-moment decision dawned on me. I was officially unemployed.

However, a couple of weeks later, I found myself sitting in the office of one, Gary Parkin, who was then the Head of Human Resources at Andersen Consulting (later Accenture). He told me he had just found the right fit for his department and hired me on the spot. This decision opened up a career in a global management consulting space that has lasted more than 15 years. It is all because one man saw my potential and decided to take a chance on me.

The consulting career involves a lot of research, reading and writing. I later realised that I had a knack for all these skills. Looking back, I realize that I grew up in a rural village where the only books seemed to be in our home. My father was an avid reader, and our house was full of books he had brought back with him in massive trunks after his studies in Scotland. He is the one that inspired my love for reading and writing. Growing up surrounded by so much reading material and a father who shared my passion for reading opened up the opportunity to become a best-selling author of multiple books much later in life. In one of the books, my father is the main character. His pride in me boosted my self-esteem from an early age. Even though he passed away whilst I was a teenager, I still lean on him as my foundation and anchor in all I pursue and accomplish.

Door opening provides an opportunity, a breakthrough in life and emotional upliftment. That's what the above three people have provided to me.

26/08/2022

Today we celebrate Louise Morgan a director Kate Naughton Food & Events

I have really incredible women in my life. This did not happen by chance as I have intentionally made sure that I am surrounded by really strong females. I feel like without having these women in my life I would not be who I am today, they have helped mould my character. These are women whom I’ve known since childhood and ones that I’ve met along the way in my life you being one of them.

One thing I realised about being a female is that women are generally not great at supporting each other and I’ve always wondered why. Is it because we find it hard to celebrate ourselves and our achievements so that creates a hurdle in celebrating others when we cannot celebrate ourselves?

The wonderful thing about the people in my life is that they have always supported me and they are the few that I keep close to my side. I am grateful for these women.

I have opened doors through my innate character. I can be quite funny thanks to my father and that has opened doors for me into people’s hearts. Thanks to my mum, who is one of the strongest women I know, I’ve been brought up to be kind and understanding towards other people. I feel people need to be acknowledged as I know the struggles of not feeling acknowledged. I have always taken a concerted interest in the well-being of people. I make sure that on a daily basis, whomever I encounter in my day that I greet them by their name and ask them how they are. Treat people how you would want to be treated.

Share your story and pay homage to the women who have opened doors for you with the Hashtag:

25/08/2022

Today we celebrate xolisile sithole a professional makeup artist at CHANEL:

I began taking interest in the cosmetic and the fashion industry after high school. I was able to secure my first job at the age on 17 as a junior beauty consultant at Woolworths for their in-house brand. Not only was I passionate but I was eager to advance into being a professional make-up artist, and enrolled with a beauty institution called to Face with no regrets. My journey has been nothing but amazing, showcasing my skills while building personal relations with my clients daily is really what I would describe as my true passion.

I believe in helping people along the way, in any way that I can. I take pride in constantly seeking new opportunities and recommending people whom I know have delivered professional and quality outputs. I regard myself a door opener as at any given chance. I ensure that I am able to connect people with opportunities. Lifting others up along the way to the top does not diminish your achievements or goals. In fact, I see it as expanding a network that one can rely on.

Bonita Botha and Ayanda Montero are two DoorOpeners that gave me the greatest opportunities. They contributed to my career through mentorship and provided growth opportunities that helped me get to where I am today. I am also grateful to Lerato Mashinini and Nqobile Congwane of Beauty&Beats for opening doors of opportunity.

Share your story and pay homage to the women who have opened doors for you with the Hashtag:

25/08/2022

Today we celebrate Liz Dos Santos, Group Stakeholder Relations Manager at Lenmed:

My career was initiated in the healthcare industry, but I immigrated to where I diverged into an alternate vocation, however, my passion for the industry never left me.

On returning to Africa, I fortunately was given the opportunity to return to healthcare, spreading my wings in the industry and earning my stripes within the marketing space. I have had the privilege of working in different healthcare groups with many inspiring leaders who have encouraged my growth.

In my 15 years of operating in strategic positions inspiring and effecting change, I acknowledge and am grateful for the assistance and guidance I have been offered along the way and feel honoured to be in a position to influence and afford others opportunities that have been afforded to me. It is not only about leadership but rather the sharing of knowledge and skills I have acquired along my journey. Each one of us learns daily, whether it’s from others or from our own failures hence it's important for humans to hold the door open for each other.

I am a passionate people’s person; many say that I am like and that my heart is as big as the world, however I see it as my purpose - making a positive difference in another’s life. My role model as a door-opener is Angelina Jolie, she is constantly serving humanity, affording others opportunities and growth to make the world a better place.

My motto is: Today I am walking in my shoes but tomorrow I can be in someone else shoes, so rather than judgment, let’s be kinder to one another.

Share your story and pay homage to the women who have opened doors for you with the Hashtag:

23/08/2022

Today we celebrate Sister Jenny ( LION) a professional nurse and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Sister Jenny JEN-TIL TOUCH Agribusiness and inventor of a range of natural healing creams running for 30 years:

I always had a burning desire to help people feel better. A childhood experience where I witnessed my friend get burned opened a door to healing. From that moment the door was opened, I was led to the pursuit of healing. I studied nursing and specialised in wound care which led to my passion to heal burns.

My parents taught me from an early age to love and respect all people and never judge or compare myself with others, I developed a deep love for humanity. I empower the youth to feel good about helping people and lead by example. My creams are Divinely inspired to improve the quality of people’s lives. Seeing diabetics experience wound healing, and people with disabilities experiencing relief is very rewarding.

As a result of a door being opened by very special woman from who sent me on a course with the United Nations which helped me grow my business. I exhibited my products in many countries, won awards, received international recognition, became a and eventually formed part of the Graça Machel Trust Woman Creating Wealth 2020 cohort. I am humbled to finally register the Sister Jenny Burn Foundation NPO to follow my dream of helping burn victims.

Share your story and pay homage to the women who have opened doors for you with the Hashtag:

23/08/2022

Today we celebrate Mary Khutlane founder and MD of PPC recruitment Pty Ltd South Africa:

In life, we are blessed with the power of choice. One can choose to either selfishly withhold close to our chests all we have or give to others and share our gift of time and resources. The poet Holmes said, “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” This sentiment is further affirmed by a famous American memoirist, Maya Angelou who was a strong advocate for peace and giving to others. One quote that particularly resonates is, “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.” This affirms our African roots of Ubuntu where we believe “Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu” which translates to “You are who you are because of other people.”

When the founder of Drop a Blanket Freda Motshidisi Malema approached us, we jumped at the chance to be part of something bigger than us as a company. As a sponsor for the Drop a Blanket Gala Dinner event, we were moved to contribute towards improving the lives of little girls and building their self-worth, sense of confidence and can-do attitude. I believe in laying the foundation, one brick at a time and helping to provide a bright future for girls who will grow to be women that will contribute to the betterment of our society. The author Mark Victor Hansen said, “Each one, reach one. Each one, teach one. Until all are taught.”

Share your story and pay homage to the women who have opened doors for you with the Hashtag:

23/08/2022

Today we celebrate Prof Carol-Ann Benn a Breast Surgeon at Netcare Milpark Hospital and mentor to students and registrars. Prof Benn is a door opener as her strength lies in ideas and seeing opportunities to healing:

What a privilege; the most important part of my story is about the very concept of “doors opening” and “doors closing” that allow multiple doors to open.

While specialising in Trauma, my first exposure to breast health was by chance, which opened up a whole new pathway in my healthcare career. Visualising a different way of treatment and care for breast health resulting in the birth of the Breast Health Foundation based at Helen Joseph Hospital.

Over the last 20 years through exposure and collaboration with top international specialists and institutions we created countrywide awareness and navigation for cancer patients. I set up the only fully internationally accredited breast unit in Africa. That is the most important “door”; an open door to all woman and men afflicted with breast cancer and breast health issues irrespective of medical insurance.

We are currently setting up satellite clinics; virtual patient navigation platforms and digital multi-disciplinary meetings so that patients are safe and doctors who may not have the expertise in the field of breast cancer can present their patients to ensure safer care.

Many opened doors and some closed doors that I now appreciate. The professor at Bara who acknowledged me and by offering me an opportunity to present internationally, Dr Myron Lange. Taught me about breast cancer when it was not considered a specialist field. Most importantly my husband; and family who encourage and assist so that I can have an open door to perform this important and humbling vocation.

If your door is a revolving door; the opportunity for ideas and people to enter and exit allows you to create and be part of a team; to cross-pollinate ideas and allow for better patient care. Most importantly my door is always open to those in need of help

OAO Women

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