DIRCO hosted a breakfast on 10 March 2025 in honour of female ambassadors. The event was held in partnership with the Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Institute.
The gathering served as a platform to celebrate women’s achievements while advocating for gender equality and the empowerment of women. This year’s International Women’s Day was celebrated under the theme: “Accelerating Gender Equality.”
The keynote speaker, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, Deputy Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in South Africa, emphasised that:
“No one, especially girls and women in their diversities, should be left behind.”
Aleta Miller, UN Women Representative for the South Africa Multi-Country Office, highlighted the global gap in gender equality:
“Women and men are not on the roadmap to being equal.
There is no country on earth where men and women are equal.”
Reflecting on progress, she added:
“After 30 years of this roadmap, we are still not there.”
She concluded her address with an empowering reminder:
“Women have power,”
encouraging all women to come together and harness that power.
Guests engaged in a panel discussion and enjoyed a light breakfast, rounding off a morning dedicated to unity, reflection, and driving progress for gender equality.
by Marion Kate
