As we near the end of Women’s month, there are still a few issues and discussions that women need to sort out. Health and Wellness hosted a workshop for UFS staff where they could delve deeply into the three most important relational issues encountered by women. Naturally, those in attendance were women, and this created a space where honest sharing among the attendees was encouraged. Dr Miemsie de Jager, a familiar face to staff members, was the facilitator for the workshop.

Dr De Jager is passionate about the empowerment of women, as she believes that women are the pillars of society. She encouraged attendees to be selfish in taking the time to work on themselves, as the process is about them. Firstly, the group dealt with improving the current relationships they have. Dr De Jager started with some food for thought by stating, “An individual woman can only have healthy relationships if she has a healthy relationship with herself.” She further noted that women need to get to know themselves, especially what they are sensitive about.

Another relationship that was discussed was the relationship women have with their money/finances. By having an open dialogue with their purses, the attendees were urged to re-evaluate their spending habits. It is important to distinguish between one’s needs and wants. As the women continued to discuss certain issues, Dr De Jager noted that a lot of the challenges individuals experience in the workplace, are a direct result of pride. Individuals need to learn not to allow themselves to be misused, and to learn what they can do to make life easier.

The workshop left many of the attendees with new perspectives, and mostly, new ways and tools to navigate their relationships. - Hatsu Mphatsoe

Many women were forced to have honest dialogue with their purses.