#WomensMonth: Kalay Maistry – Carrying forward the bravery of the 1956 women
She believes all women carry bravery in different ways.
“Bravery doesn't necessarily mean you have to come from a background of struggle.
"The women of 1956 were brave enough to march to Pretoria, and they had a specific challenge that they rallied to and their spirit still echoes across South Africa every day, but sometimes it's just the bravery you need to say, hang on, that's not the right thing.
“Our struggles might be very different, but we have a little piece of bravery that applies to our particular situation, whether we are breaking ceilings, smashing in doors, lifting each other up, or just keeping ourselves safe in an insane world.
“That's what Women’s Day is for me, but it also goes further than this, it is also about the women who come after us."
This she says is what wakes her up in the morning.
"How do we continue to build the 1956 sisterhood? Who are the people coming in after me? What am I helping them with? How am I lifting them up? Where I couldn't get an opportunity, could I help somebody else get that opportunity?”
Telling stories
Maistry, who says she “sort of fell into” PR, worked as a broadcast journalist for many years.
Maistry grew up in a township where there was little money for extramural activities. But there was a local library and that’s where you would find her.
Books became her access to a world much bigger than the township. “When you are in a situation with low economic opportunities and unemployment, you cannot see out; everything is dark.
“Books opened another world. When I see where I am now, I think it had a lot to do with me being able to read and unlock this world.”
By the age of three, she was able to read and write, and her ability to tell stories became “her thing.”
Although obsessed with dolphins she had wanted to be a marine biologist but then realised she did not like the smell of fresh fish. She also contemplated law.
“But telling stories is my calling. My name even means inner goddess of speech, arts and culture.”
The female voice
Stories are important because they reflect the societies we live in and reflect the problems of these societies, she says, but women and their role in the news have been underplayed.
“Take news as an example. Often, we do not find the female voice in a story. It's always the men.”
But it starts with each one of us to change that. “Call it out. Ask why women’s voices are absent from this story, campaign, or panel.
“It's an ongoing battle. Every day, each of us must show that bravery, like the woman of 1956.
“You need to actively participate in the change. You can't say that change is needed without actually doing something, even if it's something small.”
The role of men in supporting women is important. “We need their support. They play a pivotal role in society and in our daily lives.
“And it's the same for women. It's not something we can do on our own. Women need to help women.”
The next generation
Younger women have reaped many of the benefits that the 1956 March put into motion.
“Women today have a freer view of themselves of the world. I love that they come in with that kind of energy and disruption.”
She encourages young women to take every opportunity offered to them. “If I look back to my younger self, I was so brave and ballsy, a mixture of confidence and arrogance. But you need that, so you do not get lost in the middle of finding yourself.”
She says to try new things and then try more new things.
“Collect as many skills as you can. I see myself as a Swiss army knife - there is a skill for every occasion.
“It is not always hard skills, it can be the ability to deliver or think differently. And do not be so hard on yourself.”
About Danette Breitenbach
Danette Breitenbach is a marketing & media editor at Bizcommunity.com. Previously she freelanced in the marketing and media sector, including for Bizcommunity. She was editor and publisher of AdVantage, the publication that served the marketing, media and advertising industry in southern Africa. She has worked extensively in print media, mainly B2B. She has a Masters in Financial Journalism from Wits.
