The torch we carry: A Women's Month message

Dear members of the UCT community

On Women's Day, we honoured the 20 000 women who marched in 1956. Their courage was not only an act of protest, but an act of nation-building. They imagined a future of greater dignity, opportunity and justice for generations they would never meet.

At the University of Cape Town (UCT), their legacy lives on in our students, staff, alumni and partners. It lives in every woman who has broken barriers and in every young woman who continues to redefine what is possible.

As we celebrate Women's Month, we honour the women whose resilience, sacrifice and leadership opened doors for so many of us. Their achievements remind us that progress is never inherited by chance; it is built through courage, vision and service.

At the heart of that progress is education. Its impact can be seen in the doctors healing communities and advancing healthcare, the engineers building the infrastructure that connects and powers our nation, the lawyers strengthening justice and accountability, the accountants and business leaders driving economic growth, the scientists expanding the frontiers of knowledge, and the innovators shaping Africa's digital future. Every graduate who uses their talents in service of others becomes part of a larger story of transformation.

Through philanthropic work, we have witnessed first-hand the power of education to unlock human potential and change lives. We believe that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. That is why we remain committed to expanding opportunities for young women and men alike, while ensuring that women's voices are represented wherever decisions are made. Inclusive leadership is not simply a matter of fairness; it is essential to building stronger institutions, stronger economies and a stronger society.

A call to action

To the UCT community, my challenge is simple:

Open a door. Mentor a student. Create an opportunity. Lift someone else as you rise.

The future of our nation will be shaped not only by those who achieve success, but by those who use their success to create pathways for others.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

Each of us carries within us a seed of greatness. Our responsibility is to nurture it, let it flourish and use it in service of something greater than ourselves.

The women of 1956 marched for a future they might never fully see. Let us honour their legacy not only in remembrance, but through action.

The women of 1956 handed us a torch, not a trophy. Our responsibility is not simply to celebrate their legacy, but to carry it forward and light the path for those yet to come.

Wathint' abafazi, wathint' imbokodo.

Warm regards

Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe
Chancellor

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements