August 11, 2005
By Buhle Makabane
WOMEN will be encouraged to share their experiences while learning more about how local government works at the annual Women in Dialogue conference later this month.
The conference is held by the City, and the theme is "Fifty years after the Freedom Charter, through the eyes of Johannesburg's women".
About 370 delegates - from the government, unions, non-governmental organisations and religious groups - are expected to attend the three-day event, which runs from 19 to 21 August.
It takes place at the Birchwood Executive Hotel and Conference Centre at the Johannesburg International Airport.
Part of the conference will focus on preparation for the upcoming local government elections.
Feedback from the South African Women in Dialogue, held on 6 and 7 July at the University of Pretoria, will be presented, as will the Gauteng province's conference held in March.
Discussion will include the improvements local government services have made to the quality of life of women in Johannesburg, and will assess women's needs in this regard.
Johannesburg Council Speaker Nandi Mayathula-Khoza will speak about the vision, theme and objective of the dialogue.
Setting the tone for discussion will be the programme director, Christine Walters, the mayoral committee member for community development, roads and parks.
There are five sessions, with a range of topics:
- Healing wounds of the past
- Local government training
- Celebrating women, with a musical item by Yvonne Chaka Chaka
- Developing a desired future
- Domestic and community violence
- Single motherhood and child maintenance
- Vukuzenzele: poverty and unemployment
- Women's health issues
- Ageing and disability
- Emotional intelligence
- Spiritual and cultural intelligence
- Social intelligence (relationships)
- Financial intelligence
- Self-esteem and life choices
- Women's poetry session
The national Women in Dialogue forum was initiated in 2003 by First Lady Zanele Mbeki to provide a platform for dialogue between South African women.
It also aimed to establish a common agenda for the development of women and to strengthen partnerships between women across Africa in conflict resolution.
Transport will leave from the Braamfontein Metro Centre at 7am on 19 August, with coaches returning on Sunday 21 August.
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