Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
27 August 2018 Photo Sonia Small
Prof Thuli Madonsela persuades women to pursue their purpose
Discovering that she was “pretty” for her purpose gave Prof-Adv Thuli Madonsela’s life direction.

What does embracing womanhood mean? For Prof Thuli Madonsela it is about loving yourself and whatever you believe is your purpose in life. 

“All of us are designed for our purpose and are fit for our purpose, you should embrace that and make the best of it,” said South Africa’s former Public Protector in her keynote address to the Women’s Breakfast. In commemoration of Women’s Month, the University of the Free State (UFS)’s Employee Wellness Division hosted the annual event on 21 August 2018 where 900 women gathered under the theme: ‘Embrace your womanhood.’ 

Being a woman today


Law Professor and Law Trust Chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University, Prof Madonsela, urged the audience to look beyond the exterior and recognise “that we as individuals have a lot in common”. Speaking of unity in diversity, she praised some of the giants on whose shoulders modern women stand, such as Charlotte Maxeke, Olive Schreiner, Una Wookey, Albertina Sisulu, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Helen Joseph, Pam Golding, Bessie Head, and Ellen Khuzwayo.

These leaders are the epitome of following the purpose of “embracing everyone’s humanity and challenging things that diminish the humanity of others”, according to Prof Madonsela.

Remaining resilient and resolute 

Despite having to contend with a patriarchal system and face challenges such as gender-based violence, femicide, poverty, inequity, media stereotypes, as well as poverty, women continue to rise. Prof Madonsela called for women to capitalise on positives such as freedom and possessing a certain degree of power, legal equality, playing a role in political spaces, economic progress, and owning a public voice.

Drawing inspiration from her humble beginnings and the lessons learnt in leadership, Prof Madonsela conveyed a simple message to all women: “You are exactly as you should be. You are a perfect expression of your creator’s magnificence. You were created for a purpose and whatever you do, just step up and pursue your purpose.”

A word from an inspired woman

It was a memorable event for Burneline Kaars, Head of Employee Wellness. “This year it was an honour to host Prof Madonsela who could share both her academic background and professional experience. She accomplished this by skilfully incorporating lessons from our country’s history and her passion for justice,” she said.

News Archive

International exhibition, ‘Signs of Solidarity: The Dutch Against Apartheid’ stimulates reflection on SA’s past
2015-08-03

The Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ) has arranged for the popular travelling exhibition, ‘Signs of Solidarity: The Dutch Against Apartheid’, to be shown on the Bloemfontein Campus. In support of the University of the Free State’s Human Project, the IRSJ strives to stimulate reflections into South Africa’s past, and to establish a conversation about the significance of our history by bringing this exhibition to the campus.

Details of the event
Date: 4 August 2015
Time: 14:00 – 15:30
Place: UFS Sasol Library foyer, Bloemfontein Campus
RSVP: Eddie de Wet at DeWetE@ufs.ac.za

The exhibition will be opened by the Vice Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, Professor Jonathan Jansen and the Ambassador to South Africa from the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands, Marisa Gerards.

‘Signs of Solidarity: The Dutch Against Apartheid’ is a moving testimony to the massive scale of civil support the Netherlands has shown to South Africa’s liberation struggle. Their support grew to such an extent that it not only became a national agenda, but also one of the greatest protest movements the Netherlands has ever known.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept