CAPE TOWN - Rustenburg Girls' Junior School’s first female principal of colour, Belinda Petersen, has been nationally commemorated for becoming a finalist for two categories in the 9th Gender Mainstreaming Awards this year.
Petersen, who has been an educator for more than 18 years, was a finalist for Positive Role Model Regional and Southern Africa and Inclusive Leader Regional and Southern Africa. Rustenburg Girls' Junior School were also finalists in the following categories: Women on Boards Award, Investing in Young Women Award and Women Empowerment in the Workplace Award.
Petersen said she was humbled to be the recipient of such a prestigious award.
“It is vital to show young children, especially young girls, that they can achieve anything. I wanted young girls to see that the only limitations we place on ourselves are the limitations we place on ourselves.”
Petersen emphasised the importance of young women of colour being well-represented in all spheres of society and to see women of colour accomplishing great things on hard work and merit and not on the basis of their race.
She added that Rustenburg Girls' Junior School SGB has been purposeful in its employment equity and the demographics of its staff and students.
Petersen stated that it is of paramount importance for privileged schools to be intentional about equality and access to education. The RGJS SGB has set goals for having 58% of pupils of colour enrolled next year.
“Through having uncomfortable conversations about privilege, biases, equality, racism, GBV cultural appropriation, acceptance vs belonging, we uplift our children. When these important topics are ignored, we are perpetuating them.”
The Gender Mainstreaming Awards were established by Colleen Larsen, the chief executive of Business Engage. The organisation is at the forefront of innovation and gender mainstreaming within the private sector.
Larsen explained that the Gender Mainstreaming Awards were centred around showcasing corporations and individuals that are creating inclusive spaces and incorporating gender mainstreaming within corporations.
“We seek to inspire positive change within corporations, particularly within the private sector. By showcasing individuals that create inclusive environments and show innovative leadership styles, we hope to bring about positive change.
Head of Music and Creative Arts, Hendrik Marais, who was runner up for the Kader Asmal Excellence award at this year’s NTA provincial awards ceremony, stated that he believed that educators and music education play a vital role in addressing injustices our nation faces.
“Addressing poverty and inequality through education and music education cannot be a simple matter of providing music lessons and music resources to poor children. Still, it can be reasonably argued that music educators can and should play a role in addressing poverty and inequality — as long as they recognise upfront the cultural, personal, and social affluence of people who have otherwise been subjected to political and economic impoverishment.”
Weekend Argus