MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                                 7 August 2001 

WINNING WOMEN AWARDS GETS HIGH CALIBRE JUDGES AND ENTRANTS 

The inaugural Winning Women Awards – being staged by the Western Cape Provincial Administration’s Chief Directorate for Human Rights and Poverty Relief under the auspices on the Office on the Status of Women – has drawn five high calibre judges and a welcome number of entrants nominated by the communities they serve. 

The judging panel includes long-time advocate of women’s and children’s rights, e-TV newsreader Chantal Rutter, Gender Advocacy Programme’s (GAP) Anthea van der Berg, and Fadila Locherdien, who owns a company focusing on computer training and job placement in underprivileged communities. 

This trio has been joined by Darlina Taywana (Mama Darlina) of lobby group, the New Women’s Movement, and Lionel Scott-Miller of Spades Development Agency, a proactive youth advancement organisation working in Grassy Park, Atlantis, Retreat and Rocklands in Mitchells Plain. 

To date, the organizers have received over 45 entries nominating women from Cape rural and metropolitan areas who have taken the lead – often at significant personal sacrifice - in making a major contribution to the social upliftment of their communities in the areas of housing, economic empowerment, rural development, tourism, cultural promotion, community safety (in respect of violence against women), health, social services, the environment, education, training and sport. 

First, second and third prizes will be handed to winners by Minister for Constitutional Affairs and Technology, Dr Audrey Van Zyl, at a prestigious ceremony to be held at Artscape on National Women’s Day, Thursday 9 August 2001 

“The whole issue of women’s rights goes way beyond the fight against traditional forms of discrimination and the emancipation of our gender,” said Minister van Zyl. “It has a lot to do with allowing women the space to play a leadership role in the social and economic advancement of their communities. 

“The Winning Women Award now recognizes and honours those who have consistently fought to achieve this end and I am most encouraged by what so many of these outstanding women have so selflessly attained. 

 “I believe that these winning women, in returning to their communities, should work with us as role models over the next year. In this way, they will have a wonderful opportunity to perhaps broaden the scope of their valuable community building work.” 

 “Much still obviously needs to be done – especially in our poorer communities – but these awards show that it is women who are now increasingly in the forefront of those who are making such a huge difference to the world we live in.

 “I look forward immensely to handing our awards to winning nominees on  National Women’s Day when we rejuvenate our commitment to women’s rights and a society free of all kinds of discrimination.” said Minister van Zyl 

Hosted by Master of Ceremonies Felicia Roman, the awards ceremony will commence at 14h15 and will include comments on the competition by Chief Director, Human Rights Programmes and Poverty Relief, Advocate Elaine Page and a keynote address by Minister van Zyl. 

Photographic and interview opportunities will be arranged for the media.