The Asherville Ratepayers’ Association (ARA) celebrated Women’s Day in style with an event commemorating the spirit of power, hope and resilience of women, held at Centenary Secondary School in Asherville.
With August being dedicated to women, the organisation – which is committed to the plight of women and children – held a vibrant and elegant function with the theme of roses. Dr Annie Singh, Chairperson of the ARA, said that the choice of the theme was motivated by the fact that roses are the epitome of beauty and elegance.
“They are usually amongst the most beautiful flowers in the garden and the fact that there are over 300 species means that they come in an array of shapes and colours. Such was the theme that pervaded the occasion which was attended by over 60 women,” she said.
Dr Singh, who is a strong activist for women and vulnerable groups, addressed the ladies and spoke about how far women in South Africa have come since the iconic march of over 20 000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in 1956. She said she was struck by the approach of the resilience of the women on that remarkable day in the history of South Africa.
“The women stood united and resolute in clear defiance against discrimination and oppression. Whilst the events of 9 August 1956 were a catalyst in the changes that ensued, the harsh reality is that there are still millions of women in South Africa who are subjected to abuse, domestic violence and gender-based violence on a daily basis. The organisation is committed to the plight of women and children. With August being dedicated to women, this is the mindset that would be used to ignite the spirit of power, hope and resilience against which the organisation would realign itself to continue to serve the best interests of the community,” she said.
Dr Singh also said that she was honoured and humbled to be the first-elected female Chairperson of the ARA, a position that she owed to the community of Asherville who supported the ARA through the challenging period of the pandemic.
“I am particularly proud that the organisation had its highest representation of 50% of women in the organisation. This was a milestone and an achievement which gave the organisation further cause to celebrate this Women’s Day. The skill, expertise and professionalism that each of the members, and in particular the women of the organisation, bring to the ARA, is the backbone of the organisation. The ladies were treated to an afternoon of fun, entertainment, massages and motivational speeches. Inspired by the adage: ‘We are Stronger Together’, the women felt comfortable in the ambiance to share their experiences with each other, with an intention to learn and draw from each other,” said Dr Singh.
Touching on service delivery issues, Dr Singh said that the organisation is concerned about the municipality’s lacking sense of urgency to attend to matters of service delivery. She expressed her dismay at the effects that the extended periods of power outages and water cuts have been having on the more vulnerable members of society.
“Rejuvenated by an insurgence of energy from the new members since its AGM last month, the organisation is adamant to take the necessary steps to hold the municipality accountable. The current appalling state of service delivery is a clear violation of the constitutional rights of people which has left the organisation with no option but to explore avenues of legal recourse against the municipality,” added Dr Singh.
