EDITORIAL | The unsung heroines who keep South Africa going

Dear reader.

Had I been asked some time ago to publish a special edition to celebrate Women’s Day, I might have scoffed at the idea.

Not because the day itself is insignificant.

But because we are naturally inclined to be consumed by the very real hardships of many women in this country and, in so doing, we perhaps prevent ourselves from documenting the fully textured life of the women of this nation.

Every other day the pages of this newspaper tell heart-wrenching stories of lived experiences of women and girls in the Eastern Cape and elsewhere.

Regularly we tell you the story of deprivation, discrimination, oppression, abuse and violence experienced by women (and men) in various spaces.

In many of those stories women are victims and in others they are villains.

Today we choose to tell you the stories of our local pioneers, ordinary women with extraordinary zeal who impact the lives of others.

Our front page features the faces of many women whose contribution to this country should be celebrated.

Some are well documented in history, others not so much.

And so, on the pages of this edition, we choose to share stories of a handful of those who are unlikely to appear in history books, yet whose contribution is far-reaching and ought to be commended.

We do so deliberately to highlight that underneath all the commotion of our country, our charged discourse and the daily rat race of South African life, are ordinary people, from all walks of life, who get up every day and do what they can to keep this country going.

Each of them has a different story, a different life and circumstances.

But common among all of them is one thing – they care.

They are bothered enough to make a difference.

Join us today as we to salute them.

Happy Women’s Day.

Nwabisa Makunga - Editor