Women’s Month recognises the women who have shaped South Africa’s past and those who continue to shape its future. Across leadership, education, science, business, healthcare, law, sport, the arts, and many other sectors, women are occupying spaces from which they were once excluded. That progress deserves recognition, but it also raises an important question. Once women have a seat at the table, how do they use that position to create opportunities for others?

It is this conversation that the University of the Free State (UFS) hopes to advance through this year’s Women’s Month theme, Beyond Representation: Empowered Women Empower Women. The theme acknowledges that increasing the number of women in positions of influence remains important, but it also challenges us to look beyond who is represented. It asks how women who have access to opportunities, leadership, knowledge, and influence are using it to support, mentor, and create pathways for other women to succeed.

“Representation matters, but it cannot be where the conversation ends. Women must have the opportunity to influence decisions, lead authentically, and create opportunities for other women,” says Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

Beyond representation

Empowerment is often spoken about as though it is something that institutions can simply declare. In reality, it is built through deliberate action. It is found in a leader who chooses to mentor an emerging colleague, a researcher who creates space for others to grow, a staff member who encourages a young employee, a supervisor who recognises potential before confidence exists, or a woman who refuses to see another woman’s success as competition. These are the choices that turn representation into progress.

Across the UFS, these choices are made every day. They happen in lecture halls, laboratories, residences, clinics, offices, community projects, sports facilities, and countless other spaces where women are helping to shape not only the future of the university, but also the people within it. Throughout August, the university will celebrate women from across its campuses whose stories reflect this year’s theme. Some are recognised leaders. Others quietly make a difference every day without expecting recognition. Together, their stories demonstrate that empowering women is not defined by a title or position, but by a willingness to help others realise their own potential.

“The question is not simply whether we have succeeded. It is also who has greater opportunity because we were there. When women use their influence to open doors for others, empowerment begins to multiply,” says Prof Klopper.

One example of this commitment is the Women Influencing and Shaping Education (WISE) programme, which supports mid-career women academics through mentorship, leadership development, and opportunities to strengthen their research and academic careers. Since its launch in 2024, 61 women academics have participated in the programme, strengthening the pipeline of women advancing to academic leadership and creating opportunities for more women to flourish.

One example of this commitment is the Women Influencing and Shaping Education (WISE) programme, which supports mid-career women academics through mentorship, leadership development, and opportunities to strengthen their research and academic careers. Since its launch in 2024, 61 women academics have participated in the programme, strengthening the pipeline of women advancing to academic leadership and creating opportunities for more women to flourish.

“The WISE programme was created after recognising that many women who enter academia later in life are often overlooked for mentorship and career development opportunities. By creating a supportive space for these academics, we are ensuring that their experience, leadership, and potential continue to enrich the university,” says Prof Liezel Lues, Project Leader of the WISE programme.

For Prof Lues, meaningful empowerment happens when women intentionally create opportunities for one another.

“By creating opportunities for one another, offering mentorship, and advocating for each other’s success, women contribute to a more inclusive, supportive, and empowering academic environment.”

To celebrate Women’s Month, the University of the Free State will host its flagship Women’s Breakfasts for staff on 7 August on the Bloemfontein Campus and on 13 August on the Qwaqwa Campus. The annual gatherings are a highlight of the university’s Women’s Month programme, creating a space to recognise and celebrate the contributions of women across the institution while encouraging meaningful conversations about leadership, mentorship, inclusion, and the role that women continue to play in shaping the future of the university.

The Faculty of Law will also host the 2026 Conference of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges from 7 to 9 August. Bringing together judges, legal practitioners, academics, and other delegates from South Africa and abroad, the conference will explore issues affecting women, justice, and gender equality, reinforcing the university’s commitment to advancing these conversations beyond Women’s Month.