Page 30 - Winning Women 2017

30 BWASA

Creating a new

CHAPTER
CHAPTER

PHOTO: ISTOCK

PHELOKAZI MBUDE able to fast-track their careers by
having support to deal with challenges
ridging the gap. Fast-tracking – which is why the Wits student
careers. This is the aim of the chapter ran the association’s Fast
Bnewly established student Track programme this year.
division of the Businesswomen’s “The Wits Student Chapter is our
Association. pilot and we identified certain issues
Based at the University of the that we felt were a challenge for many
Witwatersrand, the student chapter young women on campus,” says
has already started making its mark Makgato.
on its members. “For example if it usually takes
“The Businesswomen’s Association women 20 years to reach a certain
has been in existence for more than level in their career, whether they are
37 years and, after providing social a national director, a board member
impact programmes for girls in high or an executive manager in their job,
school for 10 years, realised that there what we want to do with the student
was a gap between the time when the chapter is make sure we cut that
girls leave high school and when they NEW CHAPTERS Itumeleng Makgato and Boikutso down into 10 years.”
enter the job market,” says the Mokoto Some of the issues identified by the
association’s executive director, student chapter are the access to
Matshepo Msibi. funding for accommodation and studies; the lack of support for first
The student chapter mentors the younger women coming in from the years, who are often underprepared for their first year in university;
Businesswomen of Tomorrow programme [See Page 33] and empowers and the “underpreparedness” of postgraduate and final year
tertiary education students by addressing some of the challenges they undergraduate students who enter the workplace.
face, says the chapter’s president, Itumeleng Makgato. The student chapter hopes to focus on giving the opportunity to
Its vice-president, Boikutso Mokoto, says she still struggles with self- young women to access real skills that will not only benefit their
confidence and self-doubt but has found refuge in the chapter. careers in the long term but also ensure workplace readiness.
It was the encouragement from a woman who believed in her and “You are always surrounded by so many amazing women who, if
believed in the cause that catapulted Mokoto into wanting to do that for they were exposed to the right words or the right cause or the right
“a lot more women, at a quicker rate”. workshops, would have had a better trajectory career wise. So it’s about
“It’s about extending the reach and extending the impact,” she says. extending that reach and extending the impact of what the
Mokoto believes in paying it forward. Businesswomen’s Association is,” says Mokoto.
“I would have loved to have something like Businesswomen of “There is such a great support system within the association. We
Tomorrow when I was in high school, I would have loved to have had want to change the trajectory of women in the country, we want to
the Businesswomen’s Association in my first year. So my reason for make sure more women are economically empowered,” adds Makgato.
being at the student chapter is to give that opportunity to the next “As we are only in the pilot phase we chose to focus on the
person because I didn’t get it,” said Mokoto. workplace issues and assist students by providing them with the
The association, says Msibi, “builds and provides a sisterhood where necessary soft skills they require to draft winning CVs, do well in
students get connected to a bigger network of ‘big sisters’ who have interviews and navigate their way around the workplace while setting
gone through the same journey”. career goals and achieving them through mentorship and skills-
This network ensures that young women are development workshops.”
WANTED
WANTED STUDENT LEADERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED
Are you a student at a tertiary institution and would like to spearhead change in the lives of other young women? The
Businesswomen’s Association is looking for outspoken, driven young women to start student chapters at other tertiary
institutions throughout South Africa. If you are up to the challenges of leading a group of dynamic young women, email
Itumeleng Makgato on president.studentchapter@bwasa.co.za or contact the association’s head office on 011 484 4945.